diff --git a/plugin.rb b/plugin.rb
index e06af41..e3732f6 100644
--- a/plugin.rb
+++ b/plugin.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 # name: discourse-md5_authentication
 # about: A plugin to authenticate users with MD5 passwords from legacy systems
-# version: 0.21
+# version: 0.22
 # authors: saint@federated.computer
 # url: https://gitea.federated.computer/saint/discourse-md5_authentication.git
 
@@ -60,14 +60,29 @@ after_initialize do
             Rails.logger.warn "MD5 -- 1.1. MD5 matches"
 
             # Set the user's password to the provided one and update other attributes
-            user.password = password
-            user.active = true
-            user.approved = true
-            user.approved_at = Time.now
-            user.approved_by_id = 1
-            user.custom_fields['md5_password'] = nil # Clear the custom MD5 field
-            user.save!
-            Rails.logger.warn "MD5 -- DD -- user.present"
+            begin
+              user.active = true
+              user.approved = true
+              user.approved_at = Time.now
+              user.approved_by_id = 1
+              user.custom_fields['md5_password'] = nil # Clear the custom MD5 field
+              user.password = password
+              user.save!
+            rescue ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid => e
+              if e.message.include?("Password is the same as your current password")
+                Rails.logger.warn "MD5 -- Skipping password update because the new password is the same as the current password."
+                user.active = true
+                user.approved = true
+                user.approved_at = Time.now
+                user.approved_by_id = 1
+                user.custom_fields['md5_password'] = nil # Clear the custom MD5 field
+                user.save!(validate: false) # Skip validations as password is unchanged
+             else
+               raise e
+             end
+            end
+     
+            Rails.logger.warn "MD5 -- DD -- User attributes updated"
 
             # Generate a new token and hash it
             token = SecureRandom.hex(20)