diff --git a/backend/app/models/delivery.py b/backend/app/models/delivery.py
index a8db94cbc8..0ef29e00a7 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/delivery.py
+++ b/backend/app/models/delivery.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     String,
     Text,
     event,
+    inspect,
     or_,
 )
 from sqlalchemy.engine import Connection
@@ -290,13 +291,21 @@ class DeliveryAsset(LoopNode):
 
 
 def adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
-    values: dict[str, object], dialect_name: str
+    values: dict[str, object],
+    dialect_name: str,
+    non_nullable_attributes: set[str] | frozenset[str] | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, object]:
     """Convert explicit nulls to sentinels required by the production schema."""
     if dialect_name != "mysql":
         return values
     adapted = values.copy()
-    for attribute, default in _MYSQL_NON_NULL_DEFAULTS.items():
+    attributes = (
+        _MYSQL_NON_NULL_DEFAULTS.keys()
+        if non_nullable_attributes is None
+        else non_nullable_attributes
+    )
+    for attribute in attributes:
+        default = _MYSQL_NON_NULL_DEFAULTS[attribute]
         if attribute in adapted and adapted[attribute] is None:
             adapted[attribute] = (
                 default.copy() if isinstance(default, dict) else default
@@ -304,6 +313,29 @@ def adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
     return adapted
 
 
+def loop_node_non_nullable_attributes(connection: Connection) -> frozenset[str]:
+    """Return model attributes backed by NOT NULL columns in this MySQL schema."""
+    if connection.dialect.name != "mysql":
+        return frozenset()
+    cache_key = "loop_node_non_nullable_attributes"
+    cached = connection.info.get(cache_key)
+    if isinstance(cached, frozenset):
+        return cached
+    columns = {
+        column["name"]: column
+        for column in inspect(connection).get_columns("loop_items")
+    }
+    attributes = frozenset(
+        attribute
+        for attribute in _MYSQL_NON_NULL_DEFAULTS
+        if not columns[getattr(LoopNode, attribute).property.columns[0].name][
+            "nullable"
+        ]
+    )
+    connection.info[cache_key] = attributes
+    return attributes
+
+
 def loop_datetime_is_unset(column: object) -> object:
     """Match unset datetimes in both nullable and sentinel schemas."""
     return or_(column.is_(None), column == _MYSQL_UNSET_DATETIME)
@@ -322,6 +354,10 @@ def _populate_mysql_non_null_defaults(
     values = {
         attribute: getattr(target, attribute) for attribute in _MYSQL_NON_NULL_DEFAULTS
     }
-    adapted = adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(values, connection.dialect.name)
+    adapted = adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
+        values,
+        connection.dialect.name,
+        loop_node_non_nullable_attributes(connection),
+    )
     for attribute, value in adapted.items():
         setattr(target, attribute, value)
diff --git a/backend/app/services/loop_items/service.py b/backend/app/services/loop_items/service.py
index 31eff9a567..8f4ec1cf48 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/loop_items/service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/loop_items/service.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect,
     loop_datetime_is_unset,
     loop_datetime_value_is_unset,
+    loop_node_non_nullable_attributes,
 )
 from app.models.resource_member import MemberStatus, ResourceMember
 from app.models.share_link import ResourceType
@@ -564,7 +565,9 @@ def update(
             # its new lane instead of an arbitrary stale position.
             updates["sort_order"] = 0
         updates = adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
-            updates, db.get_bind().dialect.name
+            updates,
+            db.get_bind().dialect.name,
+            loop_node_non_nullable_attributes(db.connection()),
         )
         updated = (
             db.query(LoopItem)
@@ -834,6 +837,7 @@ def _advance_task_started_item(db: Session, item_id: str) -> None:
         updates = adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
             {"status": "in_progress", "completed_at": None},
             db.get_bind().dialect.name,
+            loop_node_non_nullable_attributes(db.connection()),
         )
         db.query(LoopItem).filter(
             LoopItem.id == item_id,
diff --git a/backend/tests/schemas/test_delivery.py b/backend/tests/schemas/test_delivery.py
index 8ae9275390..676806b961 100644
--- a/backend/tests/schemas/test_delivery.py
+++ b/backend/tests/schemas/test_delivery.py
@@ -54,3 +54,19 @@ def test_loop_item_update_adapts_nulls_only_for_mysql() -> None:
         "completed_at": datetime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1),
     }
     assert sqlite_values == values
+
+
+def test_loop_item_update_preserves_nullable_mysql_columns() -> None:
+    values = {"parent_id": None, "due_at": None, "completed_at": None}
+
+    adapted = adapt_loop_node_values_for_dialect(
+        values,
+        "mysql",
+        frozenset({"completed_at"}),
+    )
+
+    assert adapted == {
+        "parent_id": None,
+        "due_at": None,
+        "completed_at": datetime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1),
+    }