diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
index 893c1b12..70e46718 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemService.java
@@ -250,9 +250,11 @@ public class JourneyItemService {
     }
 
     private static boolean isDuplicateDocumentViolation(DataIntegrityViolationException e) {
-        Throwable cause = e.getMostSpecificCause();
-        String message = cause != null ? cause.getMessage() : e.getMessage();
-        return message != null && message.contains("uq_journey_items_geschichte_document");
+        Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+        if (cause instanceof java.sql.SQLException sql) {
+            return "23505".equals(sql.getSQLState());
+        }
+        return false;
     }
 
     private static String normalizeNote(String raw) {
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
index 2c520625..eb902a53 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/geschichte/journeyitem/JourneyItemServiceTest.java
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ import org.springframework.security.authentication.UsernamePasswordAuthenticatio
 import org.springframework.security.core.authority.SimpleGrantedAuthority;
 import org.springframework.security.core.context.SecurityContextHolder;
 
+import org.postgresql.util.PSQLException;
+import org.postgresql.util.PSQLState;
+
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
@@ -348,19 +351,22 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void append_maps_unique_index_violation_to_409_JOURNEY_DOCUMENT_ALREADY_ADDED() {
+    void append_maps_unique_index_violation_to_409_JOURNEY_DOCUMENT_ALREADY_ADDED() throws Exception {
         // Two concurrent appends can both pass the exists() pre-check; the partial
         // unique index then rejects the second INSERT at flush. The service must
         // translate that into the same friendly 409 as the pre-check.
+        // Uses PSQLException with SQLState 23505 — the real payload Postgres delivers.
         Geschichte journey = journey(geschichteId);
         when(geschichteQueryService.findById(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(journey));
         when(journeyItemRepository.countByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(1L);
         when(journeyItemRepository.existsByGeschichteIdAndDocumentId(eq(geschichteId), any())).thenReturn(false);
         when(documentService.findSummaryByIdInternal(any())).thenReturn(makeDoc(UUID.randomUUID(), null, List.of(), null, null));
         when(journeyItemRepository.findMaxPositionByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(10));
+        PSQLException psqlEx = new PSQLException("duplicate key value violates unique constraint",
+                PSQLState.UNIQUE_VIOLATION);
         when(journeyItemRepository.saveAndFlush(any()))
                 .thenThrow(new org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException(
-                        "duplicate key value violates unique constraint \"uq_journey_items_geschichte_document\""));
+                        "could not execute statement", psqlEx));
 
         JourneyItemCreateDTO dto = new JourneyItemCreateDTO();
         dto.setDocumentId(UUID.randomUUID());
@@ -372,18 +378,48 @@ class JourneyItemServiceTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void append_rethrows_unrelated_integrity_violations_instead_of_mislabeling_them() {
-        // An FK violation (document deleted between load and flush) must NOT be
-        // translated into "already added" — only the dedup index earns that 409.
+    void append_maps_psql_sqlstate_23505_to_409_JOURNEY_DOCUMENT_ALREADY_ADDED() throws Exception {
+        // B1: the dedup check must use PSQLException.getSQLState() == "23505", not
+        // constraint-name string matching — constraint renames must not regress this.
         Geschichte journey = journey(geschichteId);
         when(geschichteQueryService.findById(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(journey));
         when(journeyItemRepository.countByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(1L);
         when(journeyItemRepository.existsByGeschichteIdAndDocumentId(eq(geschichteId), any())).thenReturn(false);
         when(documentService.findSummaryByIdInternal(any())).thenReturn(makeDoc(UUID.randomUUID(), null, List.of(), null, null));
         when(journeyItemRepository.findMaxPositionByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(10));
+
+        // Simulate a real Postgres unique-violation: PSQLException with SQLState 23505
+        // wrapped by Spring's DataIntegrityViolationException.
+        PSQLException psqlEx = new PSQLException("duplicate key value violates unique constraint",
+                PSQLState.UNIQUE_VIOLATION);
+        org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException dive =
+                new org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException("could not execute statement", psqlEx);
+        when(journeyItemRepository.saveAndFlush(any())).thenThrow(dive);
+
+        JourneyItemCreateDTO dto = new JourneyItemCreateDTO();
+        dto.setDocumentId(UUID.randomUUID());
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> journeyItemService.append(geschichteId, dto))
+                .isInstanceOf(DomainException.class)
+                .satisfies(e -> assertThat(((DomainException) e).getCode())
+                        .isEqualTo(ErrorCode.JOURNEY_DOCUMENT_ALREADY_ADDED));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void append_rethrows_unrelated_integrity_violations_instead_of_mislabeling_them() throws Exception {
+        // An FK violation (document deleted between load and flush) must NOT be
+        // translated into "already added" — only the dedup unique index (23505) earns that 409.
+        // FK violations arrive as PSQLException with SQLState 23503 (foreign_key_violation).
+        Geschichte journey = journey(geschichteId);
+        when(geschichteQueryService.findById(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(journey));
+        when(journeyItemRepository.countByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(1L);
+        when(journeyItemRepository.existsByGeschichteIdAndDocumentId(eq(geschichteId), any())).thenReturn(false);
+        when(documentService.findSummaryByIdInternal(any())).thenReturn(makeDoc(UUID.randomUUID(), null, List.of(), null, null));
+        when(journeyItemRepository.findMaxPositionByGeschichteId(geschichteId)).thenReturn(Optional.of(10));
+        PSQLException psqlEx = new PSQLException("foreign key violation", PSQLState.FOREIGN_KEY_VIOLATION);
         when(journeyItemRepository.saveAndFlush(any()))
                 .thenThrow(new org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException(
-                        "insert or update on table \"journey_items\" violates foreign key constraint \"fk_journey_items_document\""));
+                        "could not execute statement", psqlEx));
 
         JourneyItemCreateDTO dto = new JourneyItemCreateDTO();
         dto.setDocumentId(UUID.randomUUID());