diff --git a/src/lib/submissionChangeDetection.ts b/src/lib/submissionChangeDetection.ts
index 3c304766..ed2aeccc 100644
--- a/src/lib/submissionChangeDetection.ts
+++ b/src/lib/submissionChangeDetection.ts
@@ -126,30 +126,50 @@ export async function detectChanges(
       const oldValue = originalData[key];
       const newValue = itemData[key];
 
-      // Handle location changes specially
-      if (key === 'location' || key === 'location_id') {
-        if (!isEqual(oldValue, newValue)) {
-          hasLocationChange = true;
-          fieldChanges.push({
-            field: key,
-            oldValue,
-            newValue,
-            changeType: 'modified',
-          });
+      // Handle location changes specially - compare objects not IDs
+      if (key === 'location') {
+        const oldLoc = originalData.location;
+        const newLoc = itemData.location;
+        
+        // Only compare if we have location objects with actual data
+        if (newLoc && typeof newLoc === 'object' && oldLoc && typeof oldLoc === 'object') {
+          // Compare actual location data (city, state, country)
+          const locChanged = 
+            oldLoc.city !== newLoc.city ||
+            oldLoc.state_province !== newLoc.state_province ||
+            oldLoc.country !== newLoc.country;
+          
+          if (locChanged) {
+            hasLocationChange = true;
+            fieldChanges.push({
+              field: 'location',
+              oldValue: oldLoc,
+              newValue: newLoc,
+              changeType: 'modified',
+            });
+          }
         }
         return;
       }
 
+      // Skip if both are "empty" (null, undefined, or empty string)
+      const oldEmpty = oldValue === null || oldValue === undefined || oldValue === '';
+      const newEmpty = newValue === null || newValue === undefined || newValue === '';
+
+      if (oldEmpty && newEmpty) {
+        return; // Both empty, no change
+      }
+
       // Check for changes
       if (!isEqual(oldValue, newValue)) {
-        if ((oldValue === null || oldValue === undefined || oldValue === '') && newValue) {
+        if (oldEmpty && !newEmpty) {
           fieldChanges.push({
             field: key,
             oldValue,
             newValue,
             changeType: 'added',
           });
-        } else if ((newValue === null || newValue === undefined || newValue === '') && oldValue) {
+        } else if (newEmpty && !oldEmpty) {
           fieldChanges.push({
             field: key,
             oldValue,
@@ -194,16 +214,37 @@ export async function detectChanges(
  */
 function shouldTrackField(key: string): boolean {
   const excludedFields = [
+    // System fields
     'id', 
     'created_at', 
     'updated_at', 
     'slug',
+    
+    // Image-related (handled separately)
+    'images',
     'image_assignments',
     'banner_image_url',
     'banner_image_id',
     'card_image_url',
     'card_image_id',
+    
+    // Reference IDs (not editable, just for linking)
+    'park_id',
+    'ride_id',
+    'company_id',
+    'manufacturer_id',
+    'operator_id',
+    'designer_id',
+    'property_owner_id',
+    'location_id', // Location object is tracked instead
+    
+    // Computed/aggregated fields (not editable)
+    'ride_count',
+    'review_count',
+    'coaster_count',
+    'average_rating',
   ];
+  
   return !excludedFields.includes(key);
 }
 
@@ -242,10 +283,20 @@ function getImageIds(data: any): { banner?: string; card?: string } {
   if (data.card_image_id) result.card = data.card_image_id;
   
   // Handle nested structure (item_data from form)
-  if (data.images?.uploaded) {
+  if (data.images?.uploaded && Array.isArray(data.images.uploaded)) {
     const uploaded = data.images.uploaded;
-    if (uploaded[0]?.id) result.banner = uploaded[0].id;
-    if (uploaded[1]?.id) result.card = uploaded[1].id;
+    
+    // Handle banner/card assignment mapping (default to indices 0 and 1)
+    const bannerIdx = data.images.banner_assignment ?? 0;
+    const cardIdx = data.images.card_assignment ?? 1;
+    
+    // Try both 'cloudflare_id' and 'id' for compatibility
+    if (uploaded[bannerIdx]) {
+      result.banner = uploaded[bannerIdx].cloudflare_id || uploaded[bannerIdx].id;
+    }
+    if (uploaded[cardIdx]) {
+      result.card = uploaded[cardIdx].cloudflare_id || uploaded[cardIdx].id;
+    }
   }
   
   return result;