diff --git a/src/meta_plugin/system.rs b/src/meta_plugin/system.rs
index 72e1546..0d81fa8 100644
--- a/src/meta_plugin/system.rs
+++ b/src/meta_plugin/system.rs
@@ -52,14 +52,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for BinaryMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        // If we already saved during IO, don't save again
-        if self.is_saved {
-            // Return the current value to avoid errors, but it won't be saved again
-            let is_binary = is_binary(&self.buffer);
-            return Ok(if is_binary { "true".to_string() } else { "false".to_string() });
-        }
-        let is_binary = is_binary(&self.buffer);
-        Ok(if is_binary { "true".to_string() } else { "false".to_string() })
+        // Since we save during initialize() or update(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, data: &[u8]) {
@@ -123,13 +117,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for CwdMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match env::current_dir() {
-            Ok(path) => Ok(path.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
-            Err(_) => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -176,10 +165,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for UidMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        Ok(get_current_uid().to_string())
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -223,13 +210,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for UserMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match get_current_username() {
-            Some(username) => Ok(username.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
-            None => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -276,10 +258,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for GidMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        Ok(get_current_gid().to_string())
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -323,13 +303,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for GroupMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match get_current_groupname() {
-            Some(groupname) => Ok(groupname.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
-            None => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -376,13 +351,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for ShellMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match env::var("SHELL") {
-            Ok(shell) => Ok(shell),
-            Err(_) => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -429,13 +399,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for ShellPidMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match env::var("PPID") {
-            Ok(ppid) => Ok(ppid),
-            Err(_) => Ok(process::id().to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -482,10 +447,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for KeepPidMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        Ok(process::id().to_string())
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -529,13 +492,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for HostnameMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        match gethostname().into_string() {
-            Ok(hostname) => Ok(hostname),
-            Err(_) => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
@@ -582,31 +540,8 @@ impl MetaPlugin for FullHostnameMetaPlugin {
     }
 
     fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<String> {
-        if self.is_saved {
-            return Ok("".to_string()); // Already saved, return empty to avoid duplicate
-        }
-        // Try to get the FQDN through reverse DNS lookup
-        match local_ip() {
-            Ok(my_local_ip) => {
-                match lookup_addr(&my_local_ip) {
-                    Ok(hostname) => Ok(hostname),
-                    Err(_) => {
-                        // Fall back to regular hostname if reverse DNS fails
-                        match gethostname().into_string() {
-                            Ok(hostname) => Ok(hostname),
-                            Err(_) => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-            Err(_) => {
-                // Fall back to regular hostname if we can't get local IP
-                match gethostname().into_string() {
-                    Ok(hostname) => Ok(hostname),
-                    Err(_) => Ok("unknown".to_string()),
-                }
-            }
-        }
+        // Since we save during initialize(), return empty to avoid duplicate saves
+        Ok("".to_string())
     }
 
     fn update(&mut self, _data: &[u8]) {
diff --git a/src/modes/save.rs b/src/modes/save.rs
index fad4ddb..1d73ad5 100644
--- a/src/modes/save.rs
+++ b/src/modes/save.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ fn process_input_stream(
     for meta_plugin in meta_plugins.iter_mut() {
         match meta_plugin.finalize() {
             Ok(value) => {
-                // Only save non-empty values (empty means already saved)
+                // Only save non-empty values (empty means already saved during initialize/update)
                 if !value.is_empty() {
                     if let Err(e) = meta_plugin.save_meta(conn, item_id, value) {
                         eprintln!("Warning: Failed to save meta value: {}", e);