diff --git a/hscontrol/db/node.go b/hscontrol/db/node.go
index 70d3afaf..060196a9 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/node.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/node.go
@@ -452,13 +452,6 @@ func NodeSetMachineKey(
 	}).Error
 }
 
-// NodeSave saves a node object to the database, prefer to use a specific save method rather
-// than this. It is intended to be used when we are changing or.
-// TODO(kradalby): Remove this func, just use Save.
-func NodeSave(tx *gorm.DB, node *types.Node) error {
-	return tx.Save(node).Error
-}
-
 func generateGivenName(suppliedName string, randomSuffix bool) (string, error) {
 	// Strip invalid DNS characters for givenName
 	suppliedName = strings.ToLower(suppliedName)
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
index a36c1f13..94575269 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/preauth_keys.go
@@ -145,11 +145,12 @@ func (hsdb *HSDatabase) ExpirePreAuthKey(k *types.PreAuthKey) error {
 
 // UsePreAuthKey marks a PreAuthKey as used.
 func UsePreAuthKey(tx *gorm.DB, k *types.PreAuthKey) error {
-	k.Used = true
-	if err := tx.Save(k).Error; err != nil {
+	err := tx.Model(k).Update("used", true).Error
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to update key used status in the database: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	k.Used = true
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/user_update_test.go b/hscontrol/db/user_update_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..180481e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/db/user_update_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+package db
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gorm.io/gorm"
+)
+
+// TestUserUpdatePreservesUnchangedFields verifies that updating a user
+// preserves fields that aren't modified. This test validates the fix
+// for using Updates() instead of Save() in UpdateUser-like operations.
+func TestUserUpdatePreservesUnchangedFields(t *testing.T) {
+	database := dbForTest(t)
+
+	// Create a user with all fields set
+	initialUser := types.User{
+		Name:        "testuser",
+		DisplayName: "Test User Display",
+		Email:       "test@example.com",
+		ProviderIdentifier: sql.NullString{
+			String: "provider-123",
+			Valid:  true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	createdUser, err := database.CreateUser(initialUser)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, createdUser)
+
+	// Verify initial state
+	assert.Equal(t, "testuser", createdUser.Name)
+	assert.Equal(t, "Test User Display", createdUser.DisplayName)
+	assert.Equal(t, "test@example.com", createdUser.Email)
+	assert.True(t, createdUser.ProviderIdentifier.Valid)
+	assert.Equal(t, "provider-123", createdUser.ProviderIdentifier.String)
+
+	// Simulate what UpdateUser does: load user, modify one field, save
+	_, err = Write(database.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.User, error) {
+		user, err := GetUserByID(tx, types.UserID(createdUser.ID))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// Modify ONLY DisplayName
+		user.DisplayName = "Updated Display Name"
+
+		// This is the line being tested - currently uses Save() which writes ALL fields, potentially overwriting unchanged ones
+		err = tx.Save(user).Error
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return user, nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Read user back from database
+	updatedUser, err := Read(database.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.User, error) {
+		return GetUserByID(rx, types.UserID(createdUser.ID))
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Verify that DisplayName was updated
+	assert.Equal(t, "Updated Display Name", updatedUser.DisplayName)
+
+	// CRITICAL: Verify that other fields were NOT overwritten
+	// With Save(), these assertions should pass because the user object
+	// was loaded from DB and has all fields populated.
+	// But if Updates() is used, these will also pass (and it's safer).
+	assert.Equal(t, "testuser", updatedUser.Name, "Name should be preserved")
+	assert.Equal(t, "test@example.com", updatedUser.Email, "Email should be preserved")
+	assert.True(t, updatedUser.ProviderIdentifier.Valid, "ProviderIdentifier should be preserved")
+	assert.Equal(t, "provider-123", updatedUser.ProviderIdentifier.String, "ProviderIdentifier value should be preserved")
+}
+
+// TestUserUpdateWithUpdatesMethod tests that using Updates() instead of Save()
+// works correctly and only updates modified fields.
+func TestUserUpdateWithUpdatesMethod(t *testing.T) {
+	database := dbForTest(t)
+
+	// Create a user
+	initialUser := types.User{
+		Name:        "testuser",
+		DisplayName: "Original Display",
+		Email:       "original@example.com",
+		ProviderIdentifier: sql.NullString{
+			String: "provider-abc",
+			Valid:  true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	createdUser, err := database.CreateUser(initialUser)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Update using Updates() method
+	_, err = Write(database.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.User, error) {
+		user, err := GetUserByID(tx, types.UserID(createdUser.ID))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// Modify multiple fields
+		user.DisplayName = "New Display"
+		user.Email = "new@example.com"
+
+		// Use Updates() instead of Save()
+		err = tx.Updates(user).Error
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return user, nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Verify changes
+	updatedUser, err := Read(database.DB, func(rx *gorm.DB) (*types.User, error) {
+		return GetUserByID(rx, types.UserID(createdUser.ID))
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Verify updated fields
+	assert.Equal(t, "New Display", updatedUser.DisplayName)
+	assert.Equal(t, "new@example.com", updatedUser.Email)
+
+	// Verify preserved fields
+	assert.Equal(t, "testuser", updatedUser.Name)
+	assert.True(t, updatedUser.ProviderIdentifier.Valid)
+	assert.Equal(t, "provider-abc", updatedUser.ProviderIdentifier.String)
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/state/state.go b/hscontrol/state/state.go
index ff876024..297004fc 100644
--- a/hscontrol/state/state.go
+++ b/hscontrol/state/state.go
@@ -300,7 +300,9 @@ func (s *State) UpdateUser(userID types.UserID, updateFn func(*types.User) error
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		if err := tx.Save(user).Error; err != nil {
+		// Use Updates() to only update modified fields, preserving unchanged values.
+		err = tx.Updates(user).Error
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("updating user: %w", err)
 		}
 
@@ -1191,9 +1193,10 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromAuthPath(
 			return types.NodeView{}, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("node not found in NodeStore: %d", existingNodeSameUser.ID())
 		}
 
-		// Use the node from UpdateNode to save to database
 		_, err = hsdb.Write(s.db.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
-			if err := tx.Save(updatedNodeView.AsStruct()).Error; err != nil {
+			// Use Updates() to preserve fields not modified by UpdateNode.
+			err := tx.Updates(updatedNodeView.AsStruct()).Error
+			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to save node: %w", err)
 			}
 			return nil, nil
@@ -1410,9 +1413,10 @@ func (s *State) HandleNodeFromPreAuthKey(
 			return types.NodeView{}, change.EmptySet, fmt.Errorf("node not found in NodeStore: %d", existingNodeSameUser.ID())
 		}
 
-		// Use the node from UpdateNode to save to database
 		_, err = hsdb.Write(s.db.DB, func(tx *gorm.DB) (*types.Node, error) {
-			if err := tx.Save(updatedNodeView.AsStruct()).Error; err != nil {
+			// Use Updates() to preserve fields not modified by UpdateNode.
+			err := tx.Updates(updatedNodeView.AsStruct()).Error
+			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to save node: %w", err)
 			}