diff --git a/app/dv/src/main/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorService.java b/app/dv/src/main/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorService.java
index 3b5ebd49117..609222d2972 100644
--- a/app/dv/src/main/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorService.java
+++ b/app/dv/src/main/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorService.java
@@ -250,10 +250,8 @@ ViewDefinition upsertViewEditorState(final ViewDefinition restViewDefn) {
         }
 
         boolean pathsSame = false;
-        boolean updateDv = false;
         // Add a new ViewDefinition
         if (viewDefn == null) {
-            updateDv = true;
             viewDefn = getWorkspaceManager().createViewDefiniton(restViewDefn.getDataVirtualizationName(), restViewDefn.getName());
         } else {
             if (!restViewDefn.getName().equals(viewDefn.getName()) || !restViewDefn.getDataVirtualizationName().equals(viewDefn.getDataVirtualizationName())) {
@@ -272,21 +270,26 @@ ViewDefinition upsertViewEditorState(final ViewDefinition restViewDefn) {
         for (String restSourcePath: restViewDefn.getSourcePaths()) {
             viewDefn.addSourcePath(restSourcePath);
         }
-        viewDefn.setComplete(restViewDefn.isComplete());
         viewDefn.setUserDefined(restViewDefn.isUserDefined());
 
+        boolean wasParsable = viewDefn.isParsable();
+        boolean wasComplete = viewDefn.isComplete();
+
+        viewDefn.setComplete(restViewDefn.isComplete());
+        boolean updateDv = false;
+
         if (viewDefn.isComplete()) {
             if (!viewDefn.isUserDefined()) {
                 //regenerate if needed
-                if (viewDefn.getDdl() == null || !pathsSame || !viewDefn.isParsable()) {
+                if (viewDefn.getDdl() == null || !pathsSame || !wasParsable) {
                     String ddl = new ServiceVdbGenerator(metadataService).getODataViewDdl(viewDefn);
                     viewDefn.setDdl(ddl);
                     viewDefn.setParsable(true);
                     updateDv = true;
                 }
                 // else we're trusting the ui
-            } else if (viewDefn.getDdl() != null && !Objects.equals(oldDdl, viewDefn.getDdl())) {
-
+            } else if (viewDefn.getDdl() != null && (!Objects.equals(oldDdl, viewDefn.getDdl()) || !wasComplete)) {
+                viewDefn.setParsable(false);
                 //TODO: could pro-actively validate if we're in a good state
                 viewDefn.getSourcePaths().clear();
                 ValidationResult result = metadataInstance.parse(viewDefn.getDdl());
@@ -306,19 +309,17 @@ ViewDefinition upsertViewEditorState(final ViewDefinition restViewDefn) {
                         //for now we'll redo everything
                         updateDv = true;
                     }
-                } else {
-                    //not actually usable - perhaps come other ddl statement
-                    if (viewDefn.isParsable()) {
-                        updateDv = true;
-                    }
-                    viewDefn.setParsable(false);
                 }
             }
+        } else {
+            //could be anything, so also toggle the parsable flag
+            viewDefn.setParsable(false);
+        }
 
-            if (updateDv) {
-                DataVirtualization dv = getWorkspaceManager().findDataVirtualization(viewDefn.getDataVirtualizationName());
-                dv.touch();
-            }
+        //if there was a change that may have affected the metadata, we need to update the preview vdb
+        if (updateDv || (viewDefn.isComplete() ^ wasComplete) || (viewDefn.isParsable() ^ wasParsable)) {
+            DataVirtualization dv = getWorkspaceManager().findDataVirtualization(viewDefn.getDataVirtualizationName());
+            dv.touch();
         }
 
         return viewDefn;
diff --git a/app/dv/src/test/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorServiceTest.java b/app/dv/src/test/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorServiceTest.java
index d0eca979a60..69aa3ae6f0b 100644
--- a/app/dv/src/test/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorServiceTest.java
+++ b/app/dv/src/test/java/io/syndesis/dv/server/endpoint/EditorServiceTest.java
@@ -16,13 +16,17 @@
 
 package io.syndesis.dv.server.endpoint;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
+import io.syndesis.dv.metadata.internal.DefaultMetadataInstance;
+import io.syndesis.dv.model.ViewDefinition;
+import io.syndesis.dv.repository.RepositoryConfiguration;
+import io.syndesis.dv.repository.RepositoryManagerImpl;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
@@ -35,13 +39,6 @@
 import org.teiid.adminapi.impl.ModelMetaData;
 import org.teiid.adminapi.impl.VDBMetaData;
 
-import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
-
-import io.syndesis.dv.metadata.internal.DefaultMetadataInstance;
-import io.syndesis.dv.model.ViewDefinition;
-import io.syndesis.dv.repository.RepositoryConfiguration;
-import io.syndesis.dv.repository.RepositoryManagerImpl;
-
 @SuppressWarnings("nls")
 @RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
 @DataJpaTest
@@ -125,6 +122,22 @@ public class EditorServiceTest {
         for (ViewListing vl : dvService.getViewList("x")) {
             assertTrue(vl.isValid());
         }
+
+        //invalid
+        vd.setDdl("create view y as * from dummy.v");
+        vd.setComplete(false);
+        saved = utilService.upsertViewEditorState(vd);
+        assertFalse(saved.isParsable());
+
+        //still invalid
+        vd.setComplete(true);
+        saved = utilService.upsertViewEditorState(vd);
+        assertFalse(saved.isParsable());
+
+        //still invalid - parse error after main ddl
+        vd.setDdl("create view y as select * from dummy.v abc 123");
+        saved = utilService.upsertViewEditorState(vd);
+        assertFalse(saved.isParsable());
     }
 
     static VDBMetaData dummyPreviewVdb(boolean hidden) {