diff --git a/app/javascript/article-form/articleForm.jsx b/app/javascript/article-form/articleForm.jsx
index f405e86ec..ca7860547 100644
--- a/app/javascript/article-form/articleForm.jsx
+++ b/app/javascript/article-form/articleForm.jsx
@@ -251,11 +251,12 @@ export default class ArticleForm extends Component {
 
   handleArticleError = (response, publishFailed = false) => {
     window.scrollTo(0, 0);
+    const { published } = this.state;
     this.setState({
       errors: response,
       submitting: false,
       // Even if it's an update that failed, published will still be set to true
-      published: !publishFailed,
+      published: published && !publishFailed,
     });
   };
 
diff --git a/spec/system/articles/user_fixes_a_draft_spec.rb b/spec/system/articles/user_fixes_a_draft_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54bd8d1e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/system/articles/user_fixes_a_draft_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+# Regression test for https://github.com/forem/forem/issues/12131
+RSpec.describe "", type: :system do
+  let(:correct_liquid_tag) do
+    "{% codepen https://codepen.io/user/pen/abcdefg default-tab=result %}"
+  end
+  let(:incorrect_liquid_tag) do
+    '{% codepen https://codepen.io/user/pen/abcdefg default-tab="result" %}'
+  end
+
+  it "let's the user fix a broken draft without publishing", js: true, aggregate_failures: true do
+    # Create a new blog post and add content that validates correctly
+    sign_in create(:user, editor_version: "v2")
+    visit new_path
+    fill_in "article-form-title", with: "Regression spec"
+    fill_in "article_body_markdown", with: correct_liquid_tag
+
+    # Save the draft
+    click_button "Save draft"
+    expect(page).to have_content("Unpublished Post")
+
+    # Edit the blog post with content that doesn't pass validations
+    click_link("Click to edit")
+    fill_in "article_body_markdown", with: incorrect_liquid_tag
+
+    # Try to save the draft, there should still be both "Publish" and "Save Draft" buttons
+    click_button "Save draft"
+    expect(page).to have_content("Whoops, something went wrong")
+    expect(page).to have_selector(:link_or_button, "Publish")
+    expect(page).to have_selector(:link_or_button, "Save ")
+
+    # Fix the error
+    fill_in "article_body_markdown", with: correct_liquid_tag
+    click_button "Save draft"
+    expect(page).to have_content("Unpublished Post")
+  end
+end