diff --git a/src/superannotate/lib/app/interface/sdk_interface.py b/src/superannotate/lib/app/interface/sdk_interface.py
index 5bedf62b..d366536f 100644
--- a/src/superannotate/lib/app/interface/sdk_interface.py
+++ b/src/superannotate/lib/app/interface/sdk_interface.py
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._annotation_adapter: BaseMultimodalAnnotationAdapter | None = None
         self._overwrite = overwrite
         self._annotation: dict | None = None
+        self._set_component_called = False
 
     def _set_small_annotation_adapter(self, annotation: dict | None = None):
         self._annotation_adapter = MultimodalSmallAnnotationAdapter(
@@ -224,7 +225,9 @@ def save(self):
             self._set_large_annotation_adapter(self.annotation)
         else:
             self._set_small_annotation_adapter(self.annotation)
-        self._annotation_adapter.save()
+        if self._set_component_called:
+            self._annotation_adapter.save()
+        self._set_component_called = False
 
     def get_metadata(self):
         """
@@ -284,6 +287,7 @@ def set_component_value(self, component_id: str, value: Any):
 
         """
         self.annotation_adapter.set_component_value(component_id, value)
+        self._set_component_called = True
         return self
 
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/items/test_item_context.py b/tests/integration/items/test_item_context.py
index 454e4879..7bcd7ede 100644
--- a/tests/integration/items/test_item_context.py
+++ b/tests/integration/items/test_item_context.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 import json
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
+from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from src.superannotate import FileChangedError
+from src.superannotate import ItemContext
 from src.superannotate import SAClient
 from tests.integration.base import BaseTestCase
 
@@ -135,3 +139,63 @@ def tearDown(self) -> None:
             sa.delete_project(self.PROJECT_NAME)
         except Exception:
             ...
+
+
+class TestItemContextSetComponentCalledFlag(TestCase):
+    def _make_context(self):
+        ic = ItemContext(
+            controller=MagicMock(),
+            project=MagicMock(),
+            folder=MagicMock(),
+            item=MagicMock(),
+            overwrite=True,
+        )
+        ic._annotation_adapter = MagicMock()
+        ic._annotation_adapter.annotation = {"metadata": {}, "data": {}}
+        return ic
+
+    def test_dirty_flag_initial_state(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        self.assertFalse(ic._set_component_called)
+
+    def test_set_component_value_marks_dirty(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        ic.set_component_value("component_id", "value")
+        self.assertTrue(ic._set_component_called)
+
+    def test_save_called_on_exit_after_set_component_value(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        with patch.object(ItemContext, "save", autospec=True) as save_mock:
+            with ic:
+                ic.set_component_value("component_id", "value")
+            save_mock.assert_called_once_with(ic)
+
+    def test_dirty_flag_reset_after_save(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        with patch.object(ic, "_set_small_annotation_adapter"), patch.object(
+            ic, "_set_large_annotation_adapter"
+        ):
+            ic.set_component_value("component_id", "value")
+            self.assertTrue(ic._set_component_called)
+            ic.save()
+            self.assertFalse(ic._set_component_called)
+
+    def test_no_double_save_on_exit_after_manual_save(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        with patch.object(ic, "_set_small_annotation_adapter"), patch.object(
+            ic, "_set_large_annotation_adapter"
+        ):
+            with ic:
+                ic.set_component_value("component_id", "value")
+                ic.save()
+                self.assertEqual(ic._annotation_adapter.save.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertEqual(ic._annotation_adapter.save.call_count, 1)
+
+    def test_save_not_called_when_exception_raised(self):
+        ic = self._make_context()
+        with patch.object(ItemContext, "save", autospec=True) as save_mock:
+            with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+                with ic:
+                    ic.set_component_value("component_id", "value")
+                    raise RuntimeError("boom")
+            save_mock.assert_not_called()