diff --git a/include/serialize.h b/include/serialize.h
index ee79ab8e0..2b12e8165 100644
--- a/include/serialize.h
+++ b/include/serialize.h
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ private:
 	size_t last_commit = 0;
 	/* The last time this object was committed to the database */
 	time_t last_commit_time = 0;
+	/** Whether this object should be committed to the database. */
+	bool should_commit = false;
 
 protected:
 	Serializable(const Anope::string &serialize_type);
@@ -81,6 +83,20 @@ protected:
 
 	Serializable &operator=(const Serializable &);
 
+	template<typename Container,
+		typename Key = typename Container::key_type,
+		typename Value = typename Container::mapped_type>
+	bool InsertUnique(Container &container, const Key &key)
+	{
+		auto res = container.emplace(key, static_cast<Value>(this));
+		if (res.second)
+			return true;
+
+		res.first->second->should_commit = false;
+		res.first->second = static_cast<Value>(this);
+		return false;
+	}
+
 public:
 	using Id = uint64_t;
 	virtual ~Serializable();
@@ -92,6 +108,9 @@ public:
 	 */
 	void QueueUpdate();
 
+	/** Determines whether the object should be committed to the database. */
+	bool ShouldCommit() const { return this->should_commit; }
+
 	bool IsCached(Serialize::Data &);
 	void UpdateCache(Serialize::Data &);
 
diff --git a/modules/database/db_json.cpp b/modules/database/db_json.cpp
index ec054fe85..de3d4e2b8 100644
--- a/modules/database/db_json.cpp
+++ b/modules/database/db_json.cpp
@@ -412,6 +412,9 @@ public:
 		// Step 2: store the new data.
 		for (auto *item : Serializable::GetItems())
 		{
+			if (!item->ShouldCommit())
+				continue; // Non-committable object.
+
 			auto *s_type = item->GetSerializableType();
 			if (!s_type)
 				continue; // Provider has been unloaded.
diff --git a/modules/database/db_sql.cpp b/modules/database/db_sql.cpp
index 80d460e6e..bb5c2556a 100644
--- a/modules/database/db_sql.cpp
+++ b/modules/database/db_sql.cpp
@@ -120,6 +120,12 @@ public:
 		{
 			if (this->sql)
 			{
+				if (!obj->ShouldCommit())
+				{
+					OnSerializableDestruct(obj);
+					continue; // Non-committable object.
+				}
+
 				Serialize::Type *s_type = obj->GetSerializableType();
 				if (!s_type)
 					continue;
diff --git a/modules/database/db_sql_live.cpp b/modules/database/db_sql_live.cpp
index 6dfd3e477..82d8a8cd7 100644
--- a/modules/database/db_sql_live.cpp
+++ b/modules/database/db_sql_live.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ public:
 		{
 			if (obj && this->SQL)
 			{
+				if (!obj->ShouldCommit())
+				{
+					OnSerializableDestruct(obj);
+					continue; // Non-committable object.
+				}
+
 				Serialize::Type *s_type = obj->GetSerializableType();
 				if (!s_type)
 					continue;
diff --git a/src/nickalias.cpp b/src/nickalias.cpp
index 97cea59f0..1c0f509e1 100644
--- a/src/nickalias.cpp
+++ b/src/nickalias.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ NickAlias::NickAlias(const Anope::string &nickname, NickCore *nickcore)
 	if (this->nick.equals_ci(nickcore->display))
 		nickcore->na = this;
 
-	if (!NickAliasList->insert_or_assign(this->nick, this).second)
+	if (!this->InsertUnique(*NickAliasList, this->nick))
 		Log(LOG_DEBUG) << "Duplicate nick " << this->nick << " in NickAlias table";
 
 	if (this->nc->o == NULL)
diff --git a/src/nickcore.cpp b/src/nickcore.cpp
index 386e5e243..f704de642 100644
--- a/src/nickcore.cpp
+++ b/src/nickcore.cpp
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ NickCore::NickCore(const Anope::string &coredisplay, uint64_t coreid)
 	if (coredisplay.empty())
 		throw CoreException("Empty display passed to NickCore constructor");
 
-	if (!NickCoreList->insert_or_assign(this->display, this).second)
+	if (!this->InsertUnique(*NickCoreList, this->display))
 		Log(LOG_DEBUG) << "Duplicate account " << this->display << " in NickCore table";
 
 	// Upgrading users may not have an account identifier.
-	if (this->uniqueid && !NickCoreIdList->insert_or_assign(this->uniqueid, this).second)
+	if (this->uniqueid && !this->InsertUnique(*NickCoreIdList, this->uniqueid))
 		Log(LOG_DEBUG) << "Duplicate account id " << this->uniqueid << " in NickCore table";
 
 	FOREACH_MOD(OnNickCoreCreate, (this));
diff --git a/src/regchannel.cpp b/src/regchannel.cpp
index 457378ccc..c3ae6e43c 100644
--- a/src/regchannel.cpp
+++ b/src/regchannel.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ ChannelInfo::ChannelInfo(const Anope::string &chname)
 	if (this->c)
 		this->c->ci = this;
 
-	if (!RegisteredChannelList->insert_or_assign(this->name, this).second)
+	if (!this->InsertUnique(*RegisteredChannelList, this->name))
 		Log(LOG_DEBUG) << "Duplicate channel " << this->name << " in registered channel table?";
 
 	FOREACH_MOD(OnCreateChan, (this));