diff --git a/service/interpreter/stateExecutionCounter.go b/service/interpreter/stateExecutionCounter.go
index b6291466..90b383c0 100644
--- a/service/interpreter/stateExecutionCounter.go
+++ b/service/interpreter/stateExecutionCounter.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service"
 	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/compatibility"
 	"github.com/indeedeng/iwf/service/common/ptr"
-	"slices"
+	"reflect"
 )
 
 type StateExecutionCounter struct {
@@ -81,9 +81,6 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateIdExecutingIfNotYet(stateReqs []StateRe
 		e.provider.GetLogger(e.ctx).Error("error for GetSearchAttributes", err)
 	}
 
-	// TODO: Address the !ok case
-	currentSAs := sas[service.SearchAttributeExecutingStateIds]
-
 	needsUpdateSA := false
 	numOfNew := 0
 	for _, sr := range stateReqs {
@@ -98,18 +95,14 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateIdExecutingIfNotYet(stateReqs []StateRe
 				// do nothing
 			case iwfidl.ENABLED_FOR_ALL:
 				e.increaseStateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts(s)
-				if !slices.Contains(currentSAs.StringArrayValue, s.StateId) {
-					needsUpdateSA = true
-				}
+				needsUpdateSA = true
 			case iwfidl.ENABLED_FOR_STATES_WITH_WAIT_UNTIL:
 				fallthrough
 			default:
 				options := s.GetStateOptions()
 				if !compatibility.GetSkipWaitUntilApi(&options) {
 					e.increaseStateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts(s)
-					if !slices.Contains(currentSAs.StringArrayValue, s.StateId) {
-						needsUpdateSA = true
-					}
+					needsUpdateSA = true
 				}
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -124,8 +117,46 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateIdExecutingIfNotYet(stateReqs []StateRe
 	}
 	e.totalCurrentlyExecutingCount += numOfNew
 
+	var currentSAsValues []string
+
+	currentSAs, ok := sas[service.SearchAttributeExecutingStateIds]
+	if ok {
+		currentSAsValues = currentSAs.StringArrayValue
+	} else {
+		e.provider.GetLogger(e.ctx).Error("search attribute IwfExecutingStateIds is not found", err)
+	}
+
+	// Optimization: don't upsert SAs if currentSAsValues == stateReqs
+	if e.globalVersioner.IsAfterVersionOfExecutingStateIdMode() && needsUpdateSA {
+		switch mode := config.GetExecutingStateIdMode(); mode {
+		// Should never get here, but keeping to address all possible modes
+		case iwfidl.DISABLED:
+			// noop
+		case iwfidl.ENABLED_FOR_ALL:
+			var stateReqStates []string
+			for _, sr := range stateReqs {
+				stateReqStates = append(stateReqStates, sr.GetStateId())
+			}
+			if reflect.DeepEqual(currentSAsValues, stateReqStates) {
+				needsUpdateSA = false
+			}
+		case iwfidl.ENABLED_FOR_STATES_WITH_WAIT_UNTIL:
+			fallthrough
+		default:
+			var stateReqStates []string
+			for _, sr := range stateReqs {
+				if !sr.GetStateStartRequest().StateOptions.GetSkipWaitUntil() {
+					stateReqStates = append(stateReqStates, sr.GetStateId())
+				}
+			}
+			if reflect.DeepEqual(currentSAsValues, stateReqStates) {
+				needsUpdateSA = false
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if needsUpdateSA {
-		return e.updateStateIdSearchAttribute()
+		return e.refreshIwfExecutingStateIdSearchAttribute()
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -151,7 +182,7 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateExecutionCompleted(currentState iwfidl.
 			return nil
 		case iwfidl.ENABLED_FOR_ALL:
 			e.decreaseStateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts(currentState)
-			shouldSkipUpsert := determineIfShouldSkipUpsert(currentState, nextStates)
+			shouldSkipUpsert := determineIfShouldSkipRefresh(currentState, nextStates)
 			if shouldSkipUpsert {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -162,7 +193,7 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateExecutionCompleted(currentState iwfidl.
 				return nil
 			} else {
 				e.decreaseStateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts(currentState)
-				shouldSkipUpsert := determineIfShouldSkipUpsert(currentState, nextStates)
+				shouldSkipUpsert := determineIfShouldSkipRefresh(currentState, nextStates)
 				if shouldSkipUpsert {
 					return nil
 				}
@@ -176,16 +207,16 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) MarkStateExecutionCompleted(currentState iwfidl.
 		}
 	}
 
-	return e.updateStateIdSearchAttribute()
+	return e.refreshIwfExecutingStateIdSearchAttribute()
 }
 
-func determineIfShouldSkipUpsert(currentState iwfidl.StateMovement, nextStates []iwfidl.StateMovement) bool {
+func determineIfShouldSkipRefresh(currentState iwfidl.StateMovement, nextStates []iwfidl.StateMovement) bool {
 	// Case: State loops back to itself; Outcome: do not upsert SAs
 	if len(nextStates) == 1 && currentState.StateId == nextStates[0].StateId {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	// Check if all nextStates skip waitUntil; omit currentState in case it loops back
+	// Check if any of nextStates skips waitUntil; omit currentState in case it loops back
 	var nextStagesWithNoCurrent []iwfidl.StateMovement
 	for _, s := range nextStates {
 		if s.StateId != currentState.StateId {
@@ -193,16 +224,13 @@ func determineIfShouldSkipUpsert(currentState iwfidl.StateMovement, nextStates [
 		}
 	}
 
-	shouldSkipUpsertingSAs := true
-
 	for _, s := range nextStagesWithNoCurrent {
-		if !s.StateOptions.GetSkipWaitUntil() {
-			shouldSkipUpsertingSAs = false
-			break
+		if s.StateOptions.GetSkipWaitUntil() {
+			return true
 		}
 	}
 
-	return shouldSkipUpsertingSAs
+	return false
 }
 
 func (e *StateExecutionCounter) decreaseStateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts(state iwfidl.StateMovement) {
@@ -216,7 +244,7 @@ func (e *StateExecutionCounter) GetTotalCurrentlyExecutingCount() int {
 	return e.totalCurrentlyExecutingCount
 }
 
-func (e *StateExecutionCounter) updateStateIdSearchAttribute() error {
+func (e *StateExecutionCounter) refreshIwfExecutingStateIdSearchAttribute() error {
 	var executingStateIds []string
 	for sid := range e.stateIdCurrentlyExecutingCounts {
 		executingStateIds = append(executingStateIds, sid)
diff --git a/service/interpreter/workflowImpl.go b/service/interpreter/workflowImpl.go
index 6444e603..89cc7a25 100644
--- a/service/interpreter/workflowImpl.go
+++ b/service/interpreter/workflowImpl.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func InterpreterImpl(
 	var forceCompleteWf bool
 	var shouldGracefulComplete bool
 
-	// this is for an optimization for StateId Search attribute, see updateStateIdSearchAttribute in stateExecutionCounter
+	// this is for an optimization for StateId Search attribute, see refreshIwfExecutingStateIdSearchAttribute in stateExecutionCounter
 	// Because it will check totalCurrentlyExecutingCount == 0, so it will also work for continueAsNew case
 	defer stateExecutionCounter.ClearExecutingStateIdsSearchAttributeFinally()