diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_metadata.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_metadata.py
index ff86c9ac..f2e4c222 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_metadata.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/process_instance_metadata.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+"""Process_instance_metadata."""
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
 from flask_bpmn.models.db import db
diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/spiff_step_details.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/spiff_step_details.py
index 91d70116..9afb5d07 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/spiff_step_details.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/models/spiff_step_details.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class SpiffStepDetailsModel(SpiffworkflowBaseDBModel):
         ForeignKey(ProcessInstanceModel.id), nullable=False  # type: ignore
     )
     spiff_step: int = db.Column(db.Integer, nullable=False)
-    task_json: str = deferred(db.Column(db.JSON, nullable=False))  # type: ignore
+    task_json: dict = deferred(db.Column(db.JSON, nullable=False))  # type: ignore
     timestamp: float = db.Column(db.DECIMAL(17, 6), nullable=False)
     completed_by_user_id: int = db.Column(db.Integer, nullable=True)
     lane_assignment_id: Optional[int] = db.Column(
diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
index 2a81463c..026ed35d 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/process_api_blueprint.py
@@ -1433,8 +1433,8 @@ def process_instance_task_list(
         )
         if step_detail is not None and process_instance.bpmn_json is not None:
             bpmn_json = json.loads(process_instance.bpmn_json)
-            bpmn_json["tasks"] = step_detail.task_json['tasks']
-            bpmn_json["subprocesses"] = step_detail.task_json['subprocesses']
+            bpmn_json["tasks"] = step_detail.task_json["tasks"]
+            bpmn_json["subprocesses"] = step_detail.task_json["subprocesses"]
             process_instance.bpmn_json = json.dumps(bpmn_json)
 
     processor = ProcessInstanceProcessor(process_instance)
diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
index 535f8282..5edc526c 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
@@ -551,10 +551,7 @@ class ProcessInstanceProcessor:
         """SaveSpiffStepDetails."""
         bpmn_json = self.serialize()
         wf_json = json.loads(bpmn_json)
-        task_json = {
-            "tasks": wf_json["tasks"],
-            "subprocesses": wf_json["subprocesses"]
-        }
+        task_json = {"tasks": wf_json["tasks"], "subprocesses": wf_json["subprocesses"]}
 
         return {
             "process_instance_id": self.process_instance_model.id,
diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/spec_file_service.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/spec_file_service.py
index a31bc370..72f59d1f 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/spec_file_service.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/spec_file_service.py
@@ -167,17 +167,22 @@ class SpecFileService(FileSystemService):
         for ref in references:
             # If no valid primary process is defined, default to the first process in the
             # updated file.
-            if not process_model_info.primary_file_name and not primary_process_ref and ref.type == "process" and ref.is_executable:
+            if not primary_process_ref and ref.type == "process" and ref.is_executable:
                 ref.is_primary = True
 
             if ref.is_primary:
-                ProcessModelService.update_process_model(
-                    process_model_info,
-                    {
-                        "primary_process_id": ref.identifier,
-                        "primary_file_name": file_name,
-                    },
-                )
+                update_hash = {}
+                if not process_model_info.primary_file_name:
+                    update_hash["primary_process_id"] = ref.identifier
+                    update_hash["primary_file_name"] = file_name
+                elif file_name == process_model_info.primary_file_name:
+                    update_hash["primary_process_id"] = ref.identifier
+
+                if len(update_hash) > 0:
+                    ProcessModelService.update_process_model(
+                        process_model_info,
+                        update_hash,
+                    )
             SpecFileService.update_caches(ref)
         return file