diff --git a/packages/core/src/collections/settings.ts b/packages/core/src/collections/settings.ts
index 746352de6..e852a391d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/collections/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/collections/settings.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ import {
   GroupingKey,
   SettingsItem,
   ToolbarConfig,
-  TrashCleanupInterval
+  TrashCleanupInterval,
+  isDeleted
 } from "../types";
 import { ICollection } from "./collection";
 import { TimeFormat } from "../utils/date";
@@ -58,18 +59,25 @@ class Settings implements ICollection {
 
   async merge(remoteItem: SettingsItem, lastSynced: number) {
     if (this.settings.dateModified > lastSynced) {
-      this.settings.id = remoteItem.id;
-      this.settings.groupOptions = {
-        ...this.settings.groupOptions,
-        ...remoteItem.groupOptions
-      };
-      this.settings.toolbarConfig = {
-        ...this.settings.toolbarConfig,
-        ...remoteItem.toolbarConfig
-      };
-      this.settings.aliases = {
-        ...this.settings.aliases,
-        ...remoteItem.aliases
+      this.settings = {
+        ...this.settings,
+        ...(isDeleted(remoteItem)
+          ? {}
+          : {
+              ...remoteItem,
+              groupOptions: {
+                ...this.settings.groupOptions,
+                ...remoteItem.groupOptions
+              },
+              toolbarConfig: {
+                ...this.settings.toolbarConfig,
+                ...remoteItem.toolbarConfig
+              },
+              aliases: {
+                ...this.settings.aliases,
+                ...remoteItem.aliases
+              }
+            })
       };
       this.settings.dateModified = Date.now();
     } else {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/types.ts b/packages/core/src/types.ts
index 27e4d4aae..e96ad9008 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ export type GroupableItem = ValueOf<
     | "relation"
     | "tiny"
     | "tiptap"
+    | "content"
     | "session"
     | "sessioncontent"
     | "settings"
@@ -290,13 +291,16 @@ export type DefaultNotebook = { id: string; topic?: string };
 export interface SettingsItem extends BaseItem<"settings"> {
   groupOptions?: Partial<Record<GroupingKey, GroupOptions>>;
   toolbarConfig?: Record<string, ToolbarConfig>;
-  aliases?: Record<string, string>;
   trashCleanupInterval?: TrashCleanupInterval;
   titleFormat?: string;
   timeFormat?: TimeFormat;
   dateFormat?: string;
   defaultNotebook?: DefaultNotebook;
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecated only kept here for migration purposes.
+   */
+  aliases?: Record<string, string>;
   /**
    * @deprecated only kept here for migration purposes.
    */