diff --git a/hospexplorer/ask/admin.py b/hospexplorer/ask/admin.py
index 52bfa4e..04e423d 100644
--- a/hospexplorer/ask/admin.py
+++ b/hospexplorer/ask/admin.py
@@ -271,6 +271,12 @@ def save_model(self, request, obj, form, change):
         obj.modifier = request.user
         obj.status = PDFResource.Status.PROCESSING
         obj.status_message = "Queued for Knowledge Base upload."
+        
+        # record the original name so the zip upload's duplicate check sees PDFs
+        # added through this form too; do it before save() mangles file.name on collision
+        if not change or "file" in form.changed_data:
+            obj.original_filename = os.path.basename(obj.file.name)
+        
         super().save_model(request, obj, form, change)
 
         transaction.on_commit(
@@ -347,6 +353,12 @@ def _is_real(name):
                 for n in real_names:
                     zip_members.setdefault(os.path.basename(n), n)
 
+                # a PDF already exists when both its original filename and
+                # title match a row already imported
+                existing_pdfs = set(
+                    PDFResource.objects.values_list("original_filename", "title")
+                )
+
                 total = 0
                 saved = 0
                 queued_ids = []
@@ -361,7 +373,12 @@ def _is_real(name):
                         )
                         continue
 
-                    member = zip_members.get(filename) or zip_members.get(os.path.basename(filename))
+                    basename = os.path.basename(filename)
+                    if (basename, title) in existing_pdfs:
+                        messages.warning(request, f"Row {total}: '{filename}' already exists; skipped.")
+                        continue
+
+                    member = zip_members.get(filename) or zip_members.get(basename)
                     if not member:
                         messages.warning(request, f"Row {total}: '{filename}' not in zip; skipped.")
                         continue
@@ -374,13 +391,15 @@ def _is_real(name):
 
                     obj = PDFResource(
                         title=title,
+                        original_filename=basename,
                         creator=request.user,
                         modifier=request.user,
                         status=PDFResource.Status.PROCESSING,
                         status_message="Queued for Knowledge Base upload.",
                     )
-                    obj.file.save(os.path.basename(filename), ContentFile(pdf_bytes), save=True)
+                    obj.file.save(basename, ContentFile(pdf_bytes), save=True)
                     saved += 1
+                    existing_pdfs.add((basename, title))
                     queued_ids.append(obj.pk)
 
                 # fire KB uploads after the request transaction commits so background
diff --git a/hospexplorer/ask/migrations/0013_pdfresource_original_filename.py b/hospexplorer/ask/migrations/0013_pdfresource_original_filename.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7161cfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hospexplorer/ask/migrations/0013_pdfresource_original_filename.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("ask", "0012_pdfresource_status_pdfresource_status_message_and_more"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="pdfresource",
+            name="original_filename",
+            field=models.CharField(blank=True, default="", max_length=255),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/hospexplorer/ask/models.py b/hospexplorer/ask/models.py
index 70fa94b..aefb517 100644
--- a/hospexplorer/ask/models.py
+++ b/hospexplorer/ask/models.py
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class Meta:
 
 class PDFResource(Resource):
     file = models.FileField(upload_to="kb_pdfs/")
+    # original upload name, kept so re-uploads can be skipped — Django renames file.name on collision
+    original_filename = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, default="")
     mcp_kb_document_id = models.IntegerField(null=True, blank=True, help_text="Document ID returned by the MCP Knowledge Base.")
 
     class Meta:
diff --git a/hospexplorer/ask/templates/admin/ask/pdfresource/upload_zip.html b/hospexplorer/ask/templates/admin/ask/pdfresource/upload_zip.html
index 3b11f2c..4be7d0e 100644
--- a/hospexplorer/ask/templates/admin/ask/pdfresource/upload_zip.html
+++ b/hospexplorer/ask/templates/admin/ask/pdfresource/upload_zip.html
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
-<h1>{{ title }}</h1>
 <p>
     Upload a <code>.zip</code> containing PDF files and a single CSV metadata file
     with columns <code>{{ required_columns_label }}</code>. Each row creates a PDF Resource