diff --git a/packages/core/api/sync/__tests__/sync.test.js b/packages/core/api/sync/__tests__/sync.test.js
index 642e2b338..fab27cda9 100644
--- a/packages/core/api/sync/__tests__/sync.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/api/sync/__tests__/sync.test.js
@@ -259,6 +259,46 @@ test.skip(
   60 * 1000
 );
 
+test.skip(
+  "issue: new topics on 2 devices are not properly synced",
+  async () => {
+    const deviceA = await initializeDevice("deviceA");
+    const deviceB = await initializeDevice("deviceB");
+
+    const id = await deviceA.notebooks.add({ title: "Notebook 1" });
+
+    await syncAndWait(deviceA, deviceB, false);
+
+    expect(deviceB.notebooks.notebook(id)).toBeDefined();
+
+    await deviceA.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.add("Topic 1");
+
+    // to create a conflict
+    await delay(1500);
+
+    await deviceB.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.add("Topic 2");
+
+    expect(deviceA.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 1")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    expect(deviceB.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 2")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    await syncAndWait(deviceA, deviceB, false);
+
+    await delay(1000);
+
+    await syncAndWait(deviceB, deviceB, false);
+
+    expect(deviceA.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 1")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(deviceB.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 1")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    expect(deviceA.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 2")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(deviceB.notebooks.notebook(id).topics.has("Topic 2")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    await cleanup(deviceA, deviceB);
+  },
+  60 * 1000
+);
+
 /**
  *
  * @param {string} id
@@ -274,11 +314,11 @@ async function initializeDevice(id, capabilities = []) {
 
   const device = new Database(new NodeStorageInterface(), EventSource, FS);
   device.host({
-    API_HOST: "http://192.168.43.221:5264",
-    AUTH_HOST: "http://192.168.43.221:8264",
-    SSE_HOST: "http://192.168.43.221:7264",
-    ISSUES_HOST: "http://192.168.43.221:2624",
-    SUBSCRIPTIONS_HOST: "http://192.168.43.221:9264",
+    API_HOST: "http://192.168.10.29:5264",
+    AUTH_HOST: "http://192.168.10.29:8264",
+    SSE_HOST: "http://192.168.10.29:7264",
+    ISSUES_HOST: "http://192.168.10.29:2624",
+    SUBSCRIPTIONS_HOST: "http://192.168.10.29:9264",
   });
 
   await device.init(id);
diff --git a/packages/core/api/sync/merger.js b/packages/core/api/sync/merger.js
index bda75b465..7af204db1 100644
--- a/packages/core/api/sync/merger.js
+++ b/packages/core/api/sync/merger.js
@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@ class Merger {
         set: (item) => this._db.notes.merge(item),
       },
       notebook: {
+        threshold: 1000,
         get: (id) => this._db.notebooks.notebook(id),
         set: (item) => this._db.notebooks.merge(item),
+        conflict: (_local, remote) => this._db.notebooks.merge(remote),
       },
       content: {
+        threshold: process.env.NODE_ENV === "test" ? 6 * 1000 : 60 * 1000,
         get: (id) => this._db.content.raw(id),
         set: (item) => this._db.content.add(item),
         conflict: async (local, remote) => {
@@ -138,7 +141,13 @@ class Merger {
     }
   }
 
-  async _mergeItemWithConflicts(remoteItem, get, add, markAsConflicted) {
+  async _mergeItemWithConflicts(
+    remoteItem,
+    get,
+    add,
+    markAsConflicted,
+    threshold
+  ) {
     remoteItem = await this._deserialize(remoteItem);
     let localItem = await get(remoteItem.id);
 
@@ -149,15 +158,13 @@ class Merger {
       const isModified = localItem.dateModified > this._lastSynced;
       if (isModified && !isResolved) {
         // If time difference between local item's edits & remote item's edits
-        // is less than 1 minute, we shouldn't trigger a merge conflict; instead
+        // is less than threshold, we shouldn't trigger a merge conflict; instead
         // we will keep the most recently changed item.
         const timeDiff =
           Math.max(remoteItem.dateModified, localItem.dateModified) -
           Math.min(remoteItem.dateModified, localItem.dateModified);
 
-        const ONE_MINUTE =
-          process.env.NODE_ENV === "test" ? 6 * 1000 : 60 * 1000;
-        if (timeDiff < ONE_MINUTE) {
+        if (timeDiff < threshold) {
           if (remoteItem.dateModified > localItem.dateModified) {
             await add(remoteItem);
           }
@@ -188,7 +195,8 @@ class Merger {
         item,
         definition.get,
         definition.set,
-        definition.conflict
+        definition.conflict,
+        definition.threshold
       );
     } else if (definition.get && definition.set) {
       await this._mergeItem(item, definition.get, definition.set);
diff --git a/packages/core/collections/notebooks.js b/packages/core/collections/notebooks.js
index 086908330..8a701eb44 100644
--- a/packages/core/collections/notebooks.js
+++ b/packages/core/collections/notebooks.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export default class Notebooks extends Collection {
           isChanged = true;
         }
       }
-      if (isChanged) remoteNotebook.dateModified = Date.now(); // we update the dateEdited so it can be synced back
+      remoteNotebook.remote = !isChanged;
     }
     return await this._collection.addItem(remoteNotebook);
   }