diff --git a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
index f3f3cfef0..84884aae3 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
@@ -1909,8 +1909,8 @@ export const saveEnvironment = (variables, environmentUid, collectionUid) => (di
      Modal Save writes what the user sees:
      - Non-ephemeral vars are saved as-is (without metadata)
      - Ephemeral vars:
-       - if persistedValue exists, save that (restore original value)
-       - otherwise filter out (don't save script-created ephemeral vars)
+       - if persistedValue exists, save that (explicit persisted case)
+       - otherwise save the current UI value (treat as user-authored)
      */
     const persisted = buildPersistedEnvVariables(variables, { mode: 'save' });
     environment.variables = persisted;
diff --git a/packages/bruno-app/src/utils/environments.js b/packages/bruno-app/src/utils/environments.js
index a6836c69a..8ce488aa4 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-app/src/utils/environments.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-app/src/utils/environments.js
@@ -12,31 +12,24 @@ const toPersistedEnvVarForMerge = (persistedNames) => (v) => {
   return rest;
 };
 
-const isPersistableEnvVarForSave = (v) => {
-  if (!v) return false;
-  return !v.ephemeral || v.persistedValue !== undefined;
-};
-
 const toPersistedEnvVarForSave = (v) => {
   const { ephemeral, persistedValue, ...rest } = v || {};
   return v?.ephemeral ? (persistedValue !== undefined ? { ...rest, value: persistedValue } : rest) : rest;
 };
 
-// mode 'save': filters out ephemeral vars without persistedValue (script-created, never on disk)
-// mode 'merge': same as 'save', but also includes ephemeral vars explicitly persisted this run
+/*
+ High-level builder for persisted variables
+ - mode 'save': write what the user sees
+ - mode 'merge': write only allowed vars (non-ephemeral, ephemerals with persistedValue, or explicitly persisted this run)
+*/
 export const buildPersistedEnvVariables = (variables, { mode, persistedNames } = {}) => {
   const src = Array.isArray(variables) ? variables : [];
   if (mode === 'merge') {
     const names = persistedNames instanceof Set ? persistedNames : new Set();
-    return src
-      .filter(isPersistableEnvVarForMerge(names))
-      .map(toPersistedEnvVarForMerge(names));
+    return src.filter(isPersistableEnvVarForMerge(names)).map(toPersistedEnvVarForMerge(names));
   }
-
   // default to save mode
-  return src
-    .filter(isPersistableEnvVarForSave)
-    .map(toPersistedEnvVarForSave);
+  return src.map(toPersistedEnvVarForSave);
 };
 
 export const buildEnvVariable = ({ envVariable: obj, withUuid = false }) => {