diff --git a/src/apps/work/src/lib/components/form/FormUserAutocomplete/FormUserAutocomplete.tsx b/src/apps/work/src/lib/components/form/FormUserAutocomplete/FormUserAutocomplete.tsx
index d365dd7a8..f00dae36b 100644
--- a/src/apps/work/src/lib/components/form/FormUserAutocomplete/FormUserAutocomplete.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/work/src/lib/components/form/FormUserAutocomplete/FormUserAutocomplete.tsx
@@ -237,8 +237,8 @@ export const FormUserAutocomplete: FC<FormUserAutocompleteProps> = (props: FormU
                 : ''
 
             setSelectedOption(nextSelectedOption)
-            field.onChange(nextValue)
             onValueChange?.(nextValue)
+            field.onChange(nextValue)
         },
         [field, onValueChange],
     )
diff --git a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ChallengeEditorForm.tsx b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ChallengeEditorForm.tsx
index 23d61b77b..1b903e818 100644
--- a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ChallengeEditorForm.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ChallengeEditorForm.tsx
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ import {
 import {
     ReviewersField,
 } from './ReviewersField'
+import type { AiReviewConfigSaveController } from './ReviewersField/AiReviewTab'
 import {
     ReviewTypeField,
 } from './ReviewTypeField'
@@ -1512,6 +1513,7 @@ export const ChallengeEditorForm: FC<ChallengeEditorFormProps> = (
     const challengeRef = useRef<Challenge | undefined>(props.challenge)
     const pendingChallengeRefreshRef = useRef<Challenge | undefined>()
     const defaultedDiscussionForumTypeIdRef = useRef<string | undefined>()
+    const aiReviewConfigSaveControllerRef = useRef<AiReviewConfigSaveController | undefined>(undefined)
     const fallbackProjectId = useMemo(
         () => normalizeProjectId(props.projectId) || normalizeProjectId(props.challenge?.projectId),
         [
@@ -2927,8 +2929,14 @@ export const ChallengeEditorForm: FC<ChallengeEditorFormProps> = (
                     throw createHandledLaunchBlockError(projectBillingAccountErrorMessage)
                 }
 
+                let formDataToSave = formData
+                if (aiReviewConfigSaveControllerRef.current) {
+                    await aiReviewConfigSaveControllerRef.current.flushPendingSave()
+                    formDataToSave = getValues()
+                }
+
                 const formDataWithProjectBilling = applyProjectBillingToChallengeFormData(
-                    formData,
+                    formDataToSave,
                     resolvedProjectBillingAccount,
                 )
                 const payload = transformFormDataToChallenge({
@@ -3402,12 +3410,18 @@ export const ChallengeEditorForm: FC<ChallengeEditorFormProps> = (
         loginUserId,
         rawPaymentCreator,
     ])
+
     const reviewSection = usesManualReviewers
         ? (
             <section className={styles.section}>
                 <h3 className={styles.sectionTitle}>Review</h3>
                 <div className={styles.block}>
-                    <ReviewersField isReadOnly={isReadOnly} />
+                    <ReviewersField
+                        isReadOnly={isReadOnly}
+                        onConfigSaveControllerReady={function (controller: AiReviewConfigSaveController | undefined) {
+                            aiReviewConfigSaveControllerRef.current = controller
+                        }}
+                    />
                 </div>
             </section>
         )
diff --git a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/AiReviewTab.tsx b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/AiReviewTab.tsx
index 30cc9b9e5..f6e3329f5 100644
--- a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/AiReviewTab.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/AiReviewTab.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ import {
 } from './reviewers-field.utils'
 import styles from './AiReviewTab.module.scss'
 
+export interface AiReviewConfigSaveController {
+    flushPendingSave: () => Promise<void>
+}
+
 interface AiReviewTabProps {
     challengeId?: string
     hasSubmissions?: boolean
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ interface AiReviewTabProps {
     trackId?: string
     typeId?: string
     onConfigPersisted?: (config: AiReviewConfig) => void
+    onConfigSaveControllerReady?: (controller: AiReviewConfigSaveController | undefined) => void
 }
 
 type ConfigurationMode = 'manual' | 'template'
@@ -461,6 +466,7 @@ export const AiReviewTab: FC<AiReviewTabProps> = (
     const onConfigRemoved = props.onConfigRemoved
     const readOnly = props.hasSubmissions === true
     const onConfigPersisted = props.onConfigPersisted
+    const onConfigSaveControllerReady = props.onConfigSaveControllerReady
     const reviewers = props.reviewers
     const trackId = props.trackId
     const typeId = props.typeId
@@ -470,6 +476,7 @@ export const AiReviewTab: FC<AiReviewTabProps> = (
     const initialConfigLookupChallengeIdRef = useRef<string | undefined>()
     const onConfigPersistedRef = useRef<typeof onConfigPersisted>(onConfigPersisted)
     const saveTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined>()
+    const configSavePromiseRef = useRef<Promise<void> | undefined>(undefined)
 
     const [availableWorkflows, setAvailableWorkflows] = useState<Workflow[]>([])
     const [configuration, setConfiguration] = useState<AiReviewConfigurationDraft>(DEFAULT_CONFIGURATION)
@@ -615,6 +622,15 @@ export const AiReviewTab: FC<AiReviewTabProps> = (
             templatesLoading,
         ],
     )
+
+    const hasPendingConfigurationChanges = useMemo(
+        (): boolean => (
+            !!normalizedConfiguration
+            && aiReviewConfigHasChanges(lastSavedConfigurationRef.current, normalizedConfiguration)
+            && validationErrors.length === 0
+        ),
+        [normalizedConfiguration, validationErrors],
+    )
     const hasPersistedConfigForCurrentChallenge = useMemo(
         () => (
             !!normalizeReviewerText(configId)
@@ -999,6 +1015,72 @@ export const AiReviewTab: FC<AiReviewTabProps> = (
         }
     }, [configurationMode, selectedTrackName, selectedTypeName])
 
+    const persistConfiguration = useCallback(async (): Promise<void> => {
+        if (!normalizedConfiguration || readOnly || validationErrors.length > 0) {
+            return
+        }
+
+        setIsSaving(true)
+
+        const savePromise = (async (): Promise<void> => {
+            try {
+                const savedConfiguration = configId
+                    ? await updateAiReviewConfig(configId, normalizedConfiguration)
+                    : await createAiReviewConfig(normalizedConfiguration)
+                const nextConfiguration = mapConfigToDraft(savedConfiguration)
+
+                setConfigId(savedConfiguration.id)
+                setConfiguration(nextConfiguration)
+                lastSavedConfigurationRef.current = savedConfiguration
+                onConfigPersistedRef.current?.(savedConfiguration)
+            } catch (error) {
+                showErrorToast(error instanceof Error
+                    ? error.message
+                    : 'Failed to autosave AI review configuration')
+            } finally {
+                setIsSaving(false)
+            }
+        })()
+
+        configSavePromiseRef.current = savePromise
+        try {
+            await savePromise
+        } finally {
+            if (configSavePromiseRef.current === savePromise) {
+                configSavePromiseRef.current = undefined
+            }
+        }
+    }, [configId, normalizedConfiguration, readOnly, validationErrors])
+
+    const flushPendingSave = useCallback(async (): Promise<void> => {
+        if (configSavePromiseRef.current) {
+            await configSavePromiseRef.current.catch(() => undefined)
+            return
+        }
+
+        if (!hasPendingConfigurationChanges) {
+            return
+        }
+
+        if (saveTimerRef.current) {
+            clearTimeout(saveTimerRef.current)
+            saveTimerRef.current = undefined
+        }
+
+        await persistConfiguration()
+            .catch(() => undefined)
+    }, [hasPendingConfigurationChanges, persistConfiguration])
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        onConfigSaveControllerReady?.({
+            flushPendingSave,
+        })
+
+        return () => {
+            onConfigSaveControllerReady?.(undefined)
+        }
+    }, [flushPendingSave, onConfigSaveControllerReady])
+
     useEffect(() => {
         if (!normalizedChallengeId || !configurationMode || !normalizedConfiguration || readOnly) {
             return undefined
@@ -1016,28 +1098,6 @@ export const AiReviewTab: FC<AiReviewTabProps> = (
         }
 
         saveTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
-            setIsSaving(true)
-
-            const persistConfiguration = async (): Promise<void> => {
-                try {
-                    const savedConfiguration = configId
-                        ? await updateAiReviewConfig(configId, normalizedConfiguration)
-                        : await createAiReviewConfig(normalizedConfiguration)
-                    const nextConfiguration = mapConfigToDraft(savedConfiguration)
-
-                    setConfigId(savedConfiguration.id)
-                    setConfiguration(nextConfiguration)
-                    lastSavedConfigurationRef.current = savedConfiguration
-                    onConfigPersistedRef.current?.(savedConfiguration)
-                } catch (error) {
-                    showErrorToast(error instanceof Error
-                        ? error.message
-                        : 'Failed to autosave AI review configuration')
-                } finally {
-                    setIsSaving(false)
-                }
-            }
-
             persistConfiguration()
                 .catch(() => undefined)
         }, 1500)
diff --git a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/ReviewersField.tsx b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/ReviewersField.tsx
index b340fc2a1..a6191d787 100644
--- a/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/ReviewersField.tsx
+++ b/src/apps/work/src/pages/challenges/ChallengeEditorPage/components/ReviewersField/ReviewersField.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
     isAiReviewer,
     syncAiConfigReviewers,
 } from './reviewers-field.utils'
-import AiReviewTab from './AiReviewTab'
+import AiReviewTab, { AiReviewConfigSaveController } from './AiReviewTab'
 import HumanReviewTab from './HumanReviewTab'
 import ReviewConfigurationSummary from './ReviewConfigurationSummary'
 import styles from './ReviewersField.module.scss'
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type ReviewTab = 'ai' | 'human'
 
 interface ReviewersFieldProps {
     isReadOnly?: boolean
+    onConfigSaveControllerReady?: (controller: AiReviewConfigSaveController | undefined) => void
 }
 
 function hasReviewerChanges(
@@ -387,6 +388,7 @@ export const ReviewersField: FC<ReviewersFieldProps> = (props: ReviewersFieldPro
                                     hasSubmissions={hasSubmissions}
                                     onConfigPersisted={handleAiConfigPersisted}
                                     onConfigRemoved={handleAiConfigRemoved}
+                                    onConfigSaveControllerReady={props.onConfigSaveControllerReady}
                                     reviewers={reviewerRows}
                                     trackId={trackId}
                                     typeId={typeId}