diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Editing/TestSceneEditorBeatmapCreation.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Editing/TestSceneEditorBeatmapCreation.cs
index 3f89bf9e9c..5aa2dd2ebf 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Editing/TestSceneEditorBeatmapCreation.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Editing/TestSceneEditorBeatmapCreation.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ using osu.Framework.Screens;
 using osu.Framework.Testing;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.ControlPoints;
+using osu.Game.Collections;
 using osu.Game.Database;
 using osu.Game.Overlays.Dialog;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets;
@@ -42,6 +43,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Editing
         [Resolved]
         private BeatmapManager beatmapManager { get; set; } = null!;
 
+        [Resolved]
+        private RealmAccess realm { get; set; } = null!;
+
         private Guid currentBeatmapSetID => EditorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo.BeatmapSet?.ID ?? Guid.Empty;
 
         public override void SetUpSteps()
@@ -224,7 +228,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Editing
                 return beatmap != null
                        && beatmap.DifficultyName == secondDifficultyName
                        && set != null
-                       && set.PerformRead(s => s.Beatmaps.Count == 2 && s.Beatmaps.Any(b => b.DifficultyName == secondDifficultyName) && s.Beatmaps.All(b => s.Status == BeatmapOnlineStatus.LocallyModified));
+                       && set.PerformRead(s =>
+                           s.Beatmaps.Count == 2 && s.Beatmaps.Any(b => b.DifficultyName == secondDifficultyName) && s.Beatmaps.All(b => s.Status == BeatmapOnlineStatus.LocallyModified));
             });
         }
 
@@ -327,6 +332,56 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Editing
             AddAssert("old beatmap file not deleted", () => refetchedBeatmapSet.AsNonNull().PerformRead(s => s.Files.Count == 2));
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void TestCopyDifficultyDoesNotChangeCollections()
+        {
+            string originalDifficultyName = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
+
+            AddStep("set unique difficulty name", () => EditorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo.DifficultyName = originalDifficultyName);
+            AddStep("save beatmap", () => Editor.Save());
+
+            string originalMd5 = string.Empty;
+            BeatmapCollection collection = null!;
+
+            AddStep("setup a collection with original beatmap", () =>
+            {
+                collection = new BeatmapCollection("test copy");
+                collection.BeatmapMD5Hashes.Add(originalMd5 = EditorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo.MD5Hash);
+
+                realm.Write(r =>
+                {
+                    r.Add(collection);
+                });
+            });
+
+            AddAssert("collection contains original beatmap", () =>
+                !string.IsNullOrEmpty(originalMd5) && collection.BeatmapMD5Hashes.Contains(originalMd5));
+
+            AddStep("create new difficulty", () => Editor.CreateNewDifficulty(new OsuRuleset().RulesetInfo));
+
+            AddUntilStep("wait for dialog", () => DialogOverlay.CurrentDialog is CreateNewDifficultyDialog);
+            AddStep("confirm creation as a copy", () => DialogOverlay.CurrentDialog.Buttons.ElementAt(1).TriggerClick());
+
+            AddUntilStep("wait for created", () =>
+            {
+                string? difficultyName = Editor.ChildrenOfType<EditorBeatmap>().SingleOrDefault()?.BeatmapInfo.DifficultyName;
+                return difficultyName != null && difficultyName != originalDifficultyName;
+            });
+
+            AddStep("save without changes", () => Editor.Save());
+
+            AddAssert("collection still points to old beatmap", () => !collection.BeatmapMD5Hashes.Contains(EditorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo.MD5Hash)
+                                                                      && collection.BeatmapMD5Hashes.Contains(originalMd5));
+
+            AddStep("clean up collection", () =>
+            {
+                realm.Write(r =>
+                {
+                    r.Remove(collection);
+                });
+            });
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void TestCreateMultipleNewDifficultiesSucceeds()
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
index 34637501fa..db9c450bbe 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
@@ -186,7 +186,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
             targetBeatmapSet.Beatmaps.Add(newBeatmap.BeatmapInfo);
             newBeatmap.BeatmapInfo.BeatmapSet = targetBeatmapSet;
 
-            Save(newBeatmap.BeatmapInfo, newBeatmap, beatmapSkin);
+            // make sure that collections don't get transferred when adding new difficulties to a set (that function
+            // was added for the scenario of saving the same difficulty), since this path is invoked from copying
+            // an existing difficulty as well.
+            Save(newBeatmap.BeatmapInfo, newBeatmap, beatmapSkin, false);
 
             workingBeatmapCache.Invalidate(targetBeatmapSet);
             return GetWorkingBeatmap(newBeatmap.BeatmapInfo);
@@ -285,7 +288,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
         /// <param name="beatmapInfo">The <see cref="BeatmapInfo"/> to save the content against. The file referenced by <see cref="BeatmapInfo.Path"/> will be replaced.</param>
         /// <param name="beatmapContent">The <see cref="IBeatmap"/> content to write.</param>
         /// <param name="beatmapSkin">The beatmap <see cref="ISkin"/> content to write, null if to be omitted.</param>
-        public virtual void Save(BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, IBeatmap beatmapContent, ISkin? beatmapSkin = null)
+        /// <param name="transferCollections">Whether to transfer the MD5 hashes in collections referencing this beatmap.</param>
+        public virtual void Save(BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, IBeatmap beatmapContent, ISkin? beatmapSkin = null, bool transferCollections = false)
         {
             var setInfo = beatmapInfo.BeatmapSet;
             Debug.Assert(setInfo != null);
@@ -337,7 +341,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
 
                     setInfo.CopyChangesToRealm(liveBeatmapSet);
 
-                    beatmapInfo.TransferCollectionReferences(r, oldMd5Hash);
+                    if (transferCollections)
+                        beatmapInfo.TransferCollectionReferences(r, oldMd5Hash);
 
                     ProcessBeatmap?.Invoke((liveBeatmapSet, false));
                 });
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
index 74ea933255..7161f34df2 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
             try
             {
                 // save the loaded beatmap's data stream.
-                beatmapManager.Save(editorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo, editorBeatmap.PlayableBeatmap, editorBeatmap.BeatmapSkin);
+                beatmapManager.Save(editorBeatmap.BeatmapInfo, editorBeatmap.PlayableBeatmap, editorBeatmap.BeatmapSkin, true);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/EditorTestScene.cs b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/EditorTestScene.cs
index 6e2f1e99cd..e9d186fe35 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/EditorTestScene.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Tests/Visual/EditorTestScene.cs
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
                     => testBeatmapManager.TestBeatmap;
             }
 
-            public override void Save(BeatmapInfo info, IBeatmap beatmapContent, ISkin beatmapSkin = null)
+            public override void Save(BeatmapInfo info, IBeatmap beatmapContent, ISkin beatmapSkin = null, bool transferCollections = false)
             {
                 // don't actually care about saving for this context.
             }