diff --git a/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php b/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
index 42e0cc2117c89..1b0142c7a5c04 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php
@@ -1025,12 +1025,15 @@ public function save($data)
 		{
 			if (isset($data['featured']))
 			{
-				$this->featured(
+				if (!$this->featured(
 					$this->getState($this->getName() . '.id'),
 					$data['featured'],
 					$data['featured_up'] ?? null,
 					$data['featured_down'] ?? null
-				);
+				))
+				{
+					return false;
+				}
 			}
 
 			// Let's check if we have workflow association (perhaps something went wrong before)
@@ -1098,6 +1101,17 @@ public function featured($pks, $value = 0, $featuredUp = null, $featuredDown = n
 		$pks   = ArrayHelper::toInteger($pks);
 		$value = (int) $value;
 
+		// Convert empty strings to null for the query.
+		if ($featuredUp === '')
+		{
+			$featuredUp = null;
+		}
+
+		if ($featuredDown === '')
+		{
+			$featuredDown = null;
+		}
+
 		if (empty($pks))
 		{
 			$this->setError(Text::_('COM_CONTENT_NO_ITEM_SELECTED'));