diff --git a/frontend/src/app/my-applications/actions.ts b/frontend/src/app/my-applications/actions.ts
index a0eaf64..9a0a8a6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/my-applications/actions.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/my-applications/actions.ts
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ async function recordApplicationStatusEvent(
   }
 }
 
+function parseLocalDate(value: string | undefined, fallback: Date) {
+  if (!value) return fallback;
+  const date = new Date(value);
+  return Number.isNaN(date.getTime()) ? fallback : date;
+}
+
 export async function listRecruitmentCycles(): Promise<RecruitmentCycle[]> {
   const session = await getServerSession(getAuthOptions());
   const userId = requireUserId(session);
@@ -297,44 +303,107 @@ export async function syncLocalApplications(apps: LocalApplication[]) {
   const userId = requireUserId(session);
   const userObjectId = new ObjectId(userId);
 
-  if (!apps.length) return { ok: true, upserted: 0 };
-
   const client = await getMongoClientPromise();
   const db = client.db(process.env.MONGODB_DATABASE || "default");
-  const collection = db.collection("applications");
+  const collection = db.collection<ApplicationRecord>("applications");
 
-  let upserted = 0;
+  if (!apps.length) {
+    const current = await collection
+      .find({ userId: userObjectId })
+      .sort({ updatedAt: -1 })
+      .toArray();
+
+    return {
+      ok: true,
+      upserted: 0,
+      inserted: 0,
+      updated: 0,
+      skipped: 0,
+      applications: current.map((app) => serializeApplication(app)),
+    };
+  }
+
+  let inserted = 0;
+  let updated = 0;
+  let skipped = 0;
 
   for (const app of apps) {
-    const result = await collection.updateOne(
-      { userId: userObjectId, jobId: app.jobId },
+    const now = new Date();
+    const localStartedAt = parseLocalDate(app.startedAt, now);
+    const localUpdatedAt = parseLocalDate(app.updatedAt, localStartedAt);
+    const nextCycleId = app.cycleId ?? DEFAULT_RECRUITMENT_CYCLE_ID;
+    const existing = await collection.findOne({
+      userId: userObjectId,
+      jobId: app.jobId,
+    });
+
+    if (!existing) {
+      await collection.insertOne({
+        _id: new ObjectId(),
+        userId: userObjectId,
+        jobId: app.jobId,
+        status: app.status,
+        startedAt: localStartedAt,
+        updatedAt: localUpdatedAt,
+        jobSnapshot: app.jobSnapshot,
+        cycleId: nextCycleId,
+        ...(app.starred !== undefined ? { starred: app.starred } : {}),
+      });
+
+      await recordApplicationStatusEvent(db, userObjectId, {
+        jobId: app.jobId,
+        fromStatus: null,
+        toStatus: app.status,
+        cycleId: nextCycleId,
+        source: "local_sync",
+      });
+
+      inserted += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (localUpdatedAt.getTime() <= existing.updatedAt.getTime()) {
+      skipped += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    await collection.updateOne(
+      { _id: existing._id },
       {
-        $setOnInsert: {
-          startedAt: new Date(app.startedAt),
-        },
         $set: {
-          updatedAt: new Date(app.updatedAt),
+          updatedAt: localUpdatedAt,
           status: app.status,
           jobSnapshot: app.jobSnapshot,
-          cycleId: app.cycleId ?? DEFAULT_RECRUITMENT_CYCLE_ID,
+          cycleId: nextCycleId,
           ...(app.starred !== undefined ? { starred: app.starred } : {}),
         },
       },
-      { upsert: true },
     );
-    if (result.upsertedCount > 0) {
-      await recordApplicationStatusEvent(db, userObjectId, {
-        jobId: app.jobId,
-        fromStatus: null,
-        toStatus: app.status,
-        cycleId: app.cycleId ?? DEFAULT_RECRUITMENT_CYCLE_ID,
-        source: "local_sync",
-      });
-    }
-    upserted += 1;
+
+    await recordApplicationStatusEvent(db, userObjectId, {
+      jobId: app.jobId,
+      fromStatus: existing.status,
+      toStatus: app.status,
+      cycleId: nextCycleId,
+      source: "local_sync",
+    });
+
+    updated += 1;
   }
 
-  return { ok: true, upserted };
+  const current = await collection
+    .find({ userId: userObjectId })
+    .sort({ updatedAt: -1 })
+    .toArray();
+
+  return {
+    ok: true,
+    upserted: inserted + updated,
+    inserted,
+    updated,
+    skipped,
+    applications: current.map((app) => serializeApplication(app)),
+  };
 }
 
 export async function listApplications(): Promise<DbApplication[]> {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/applications/my-applications-client.tsx b/frontend/src/components/applications/my-applications-client.tsx
index 0e68a43..8ca35af 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/applications/my-applications-client.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/applications/my-applications-client.tsx
@@ -241,8 +241,15 @@ export default function MyApplicationsClient({
       try {
         const res = await syncLocalApplications(local);
         clearLocalApplications();
+        setApps(res.applications);
+
+        const synced = res.inserted + res.updated;
+        const syncedLabel = `${synced} application${synced === 1 ? "" : "s"}`;
+        const skippedLabel = `${res.skipped} already newer in your account`;
         setSyncMessage(
-          `Synced ${res.upserted} application${res.upserted === 1 ? "" : "s"} from this device.`,
+          synced > 0
+            ? `Synced ${syncedLabel} from this device${res.skipped > 0 ? `; ${skippedLabel}.` : "."}`
+            : `Your account already had the latest version of ${res.skipped} local application${res.skipped === 1 ? "" : "s"}.`,
         );
       } catch {
         setSyncMessage("Couldn't sync local applications yet. Try refreshing.");