diff --git a/payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/Payments.java b/payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/Payments.java
index a6dcfe9d..d38472bf 100644
--- a/payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/Payments.java
+++ b/payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/Payments.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.OptionalLong;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 @Component
@@ -38,19 +39,18 @@ public class Payments {
                 return;
             }
             paymentOptionals = grpcPayments.getAllPaymentsAfter(offsetSettledPayments).orElse(List.of());
-            long maxIndex = getMaxIndexAllSettled(paymentOptionals);
+            OptionalLong maxIndex = getMaxIndexAllSettled(paymentOptionals);
             dao.save(paymentOptionals.stream().flatMap(Optional::stream).toList());
-            dao.setAllSettledIndexOffset(maxIndex);
+            maxIndex.ifPresent(dao::setAllSettledIndexOffset);
         } while (paymentOptionals.size() == grpcPayments.getLimit());
 
     }
 
-    private static long getMaxIndexAllSettled(List<Optional<Payment>> paymentOptionals) {
+    private static OptionalLong getMaxIndexAllSettled(List<Optional<Payment>> paymentOptionals) {
         return paymentOptionals.stream()
                 .takeWhile(Optional::isPresent)
                 .flatMap(Optional::stream)
                 .mapToLong(Payment::index)
-                .max()
-                .orElse(0L);
+                .max();
     }
 }
diff --git a/payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/PaymentsTest.java b/payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/PaymentsTest.java
index 1855293e..0bdced6d 100644
--- a/payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/PaymentsTest.java
+++ b/payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/payments/PaymentsTest.java
@@ -120,6 +120,15 @@ class PaymentsTest {
             inOrder.verify(dao).setAllSettledIndexOffset(PAYMENT.index());
         }
 
+        @Test
+        void keeps_index_after_saving_if_no_payments_are_settled() {
+            when(grpcPayments.getAllPaymentsAfter(ALL_SETTLED_INDEX_OFFSET)).thenReturn(
+                    Optional.of(List.of(Optional.empty(), Optional.empty(), Optional.empty()))
+            ).thenReturn(Optional.of(List.of()));
+            payments.loadOldSettledPayments();
+            verify(dao, never()).setAllSettledIndexOffset(anyLong());
+        }
+
         @Test
         void ignores_non_settled_payments() {
             when(grpcPayments.getAllPaymentsAfter(ALL_SETTLED_INDEX_OFFSET)).thenReturn(