diff --git a/server/src/main/java/server/api/IngredientController.java b/server/src/main/java/server/api/IngredientController.java
index 531b8f3..946a62d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/server/api/IngredientController.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/server/api/IngredientController.java
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class IngredientController {
         Ingredient example = new Ingredient();
         example.name = ingredient.name;
 
-        if (ingredientRepository.exists(Example.of(example))) {
+        if (ingredientRepository.existsById(ingredient.id) || ingredientRepository.exists(Example.of(example))) {
             return ResponseEntity.badRequest().build();
         }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/server/api/RecipeController.java b/server/src/main/java/server/api/RecipeController.java
index b921bf0..3a479cb 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/server/api/RecipeController.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/server/api/RecipeController.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package server.api;
 
+import commons.Ingredient;
 import commons.Recipe;
 
 import commons.ws.Topics;
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestParam;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
 
+import server.database.RecipeIngredientRepository;
 import server.database.RecipeRepository;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -31,11 +33,17 @@ import java.util.Optional;
 public class RecipeController {
     private final RecipeRepository recipeRepository; // JPA repository used in this controller
     private final SimpMessagingTemplate messagingTemplate;
+    private final RecipeIngredientRepository recipeIngredientRepository;
+    private final IngredientController ingredientController;
 
     public RecipeController(RecipeRepository recipeRepository,
-                            SimpMessagingTemplate messagingTemplate) {
+                            SimpMessagingTemplate messagingTemplate,
+                            IngredientController ingredientController,
+                            RecipeIngredientRepository recipeIngredientRepository) {
         this.recipeRepository = recipeRepository;
         this.messagingTemplate = messagingTemplate;
+        this.recipeIngredientRepository = recipeIngredientRepository;
+        this.ingredientController = ingredientController;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -75,16 +83,21 @@ public class RecipeController {
 
     /**
      * Mapping for <code>POST /recipe/{id}</code>.
+     * Also creates the ingredient elements if they do not exist.
      * @param id The recipe id to replace
      * @param recipe The new recipe to be replaced from the original
      * @return The changed recipe; returns 400 Bad Request if the recipe does not exist
+     * @see IngredientController#createIngredient(Ingredient)
      */
     @PostMapping("/recipe/{id}")
     public ResponseEntity<Recipe> updateRecipe(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody Recipe recipe) {
         if (!recipeRepository.existsById(id)) {
             return ResponseEntity.badRequest().build();
         }
-
+        recipe.getIngredients().stream()
+                .map(recipeIngredient -> recipeIngredient.ingredient)
+                .forEach(ingredientController::createIngredient);
+        recipeIngredientRepository.saveAll(recipe.getIngredients());
         Recipe saved = recipeRepository.save(recipe);
         messagingTemplate.convertAndSend(Topics.RECIPES, new UpdateRecipeMessage(saved));
 
@@ -93,11 +106,13 @@ public class RecipeController {
 
     /**
      * Mapping for <code>PUT /recipe/new</code>.
+     * Includes same transient object handling as the POST handler.
      * <p>
      *     Inserts a new recipe into the repository
      * </p>
      * @param recipe The new recipe as a request body
      * @return 200 OK with the recipe you added; or 400 Bad Request if the recipe already exists by name
+     * @see RecipeController#updateRecipe(Long, Recipe)
      */
     @PutMapping("/recipe/new")
     public ResponseEntity<Recipe> createRecipe(@RequestBody Recipe recipe) {
@@ -113,7 +128,11 @@ public class RecipeController {
         if (recipeRepository.exists(Example.of(example))) {
             return ResponseEntity.badRequest().build();
         }
-
+        // FIXME reduce code duplication
+        recipe.getIngredients().stream()
+                .map(recipeIngredient -> recipeIngredient.ingredient)
+                .forEach(ingredientController::createIngredient);
+        recipeIngredientRepository.saveAll(recipe.getIngredients());
         Recipe saved = recipeRepository.save(recipe);
         messagingTemplate.convertAndSend(Topics.RECIPES, new CreateRecipeMessage(saved));