diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemRepository.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemRepository.java
index 34e7e26e..66b9ab27 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemRepository.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemRepository.java
@@ -30,8 +30,18 @@ public interface JourneyItemRepository extends JpaRepository<JourneyItem, UUID>
     /** COUNT for the 100-item cap check — COUNT(*)-based, never MAX(position)-derived. */
     long countByGeschichteId(UUID geschichteId);
 
-    /** Dedup guard: true when the document is already linked to this journey. */
-    boolean existsByGeschichteIdAndDocumentId(UUID geschichteId, UUID documentId);
+    /**
+     * Dedup guard: true when the document is already linked to this journey.
+     * Explicit JPQL, not a derived query: the transient {@code getDocumentId()}
+     * getter on JourneyItem makes Spring Data resolve the derived path as a
+     * direct {@code documentId} attribute, which Hibernate cannot map.
+     */
+    @Query("""
+            SELECT COUNT(i) > 0 FROM JourneyItem i
+            WHERE i.geschichte.id = :geschichteId AND i.document.id = :documentId
+            """)
+    boolean existsByGeschichteIdAndDocumentId(
+            @Param("geschichteId") UUID geschichteId, @Param("documentId") UUID documentId);
 
     /**
      * Loads journey items with their linked Document in a single JOIN FETCH query,
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemIntegrationTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemIntegrationTest.java
index b6c9fcbe..b839e113 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemIntegrationTest.java
@@ -258,6 +258,30 @@ class JourneyItemIntegrationTest {
         assertThat(persisted.get(0).getNote()).isEqualTo("First stop");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void append_document_persists_and_rejects_duplicate() {
+        // Covers the document branch of append, including the duplicate guard —
+        // the derived exists query must resolve document.id, which the transient
+        // getDocumentId() getter on JourneyItem shadows for Spring Data.
+        authenticateAs(writer, Permission.BLOG_WRITE);
+
+        JourneyItemCreateDTO dto = new JourneyItemCreateDTO();
+        dto.setDocumentId(doc.getId());
+
+        JourneyItemView view = journeyItemService.append(journey.getId(), dto);
+        em.flush();
+        em.clear();
+
+        assertThat(view.document()).isNotNull();
+        assertThat(view.document().id()).isEqualTo(doc.getId());
+
+        JourneyItemCreateDTO duplicate = new JourneyItemCreateDTO();
+        duplicate.setDocumentId(doc.getId());
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> journeyItemService.append(journey.getId(), duplicate))
+                .hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("code",
+                        org.raddatz.familienarchiv.exception.ErrorCode.JOURNEY_DOCUMENT_ALREADY_ADDED);
+    }
+
     // ─── JourneyItemService.reorder — atomicity check ────────────────────────
 
     @Test