diff --git a/src/documents/serialisers.py b/src/documents/serialisers.py
index 450eacd11..ee5f8272a 100644
--- a/src/documents/serialisers.py
+++ b/src/documents/serialisers.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import datetime
 import math
 import re
 import zoneinfo
-from typing import Any
 
 import magic
 from celery import states
@@ -459,24 +458,16 @@ class DocumentSerializer(OwnedObjectSerializer, DynamicFieldsModelSerializer):
             doc["content"] = doc.get("content")[0:550]
         return doc
 
-    def to_internal_value(self, data: Any) -> Any:
-        # hack-y
-        values = super().to_internal_value(data)
-        if "custom_fields" in values:
-            for index, field_instance in enumerate(values["custom_fields"]):
-                data_custom_field = data["custom_fields"][index]
-                field_instance["field"]["id"] = data_custom_field["field"]["id"]
-                field_instance["value"] = data_custom_field["value"]
-        return values
-
     def update(self, instance: Document, validated_data):
         if "custom_fields" in validated_data:
             custom_fields = validated_data.pop("custom_fields")
-            for field_data in custom_fields:
+            for index, field_data in enumerate(custom_fields):
+                # get field value from initial_data since its not on the model
+                initial_field_data = self.initial_data["custom_fields"][index]
                 CustomFieldInstance.from_json(
                     document=instance,
-                    field=field_data["field"],
-                    value=field_data["value"],
+                    field=initial_field_data["field"],
+                    value=initial_field_data["value"],
                 )
             existing_fields = CustomFieldInstance.objects.filter(document=instance)
             for existing_field in existing_fields:
@@ -484,7 +475,7 @@ class DocumentSerializer(OwnedObjectSerializer, DynamicFieldsModelSerializer):
                     not len(
                         [
                             f
-                            for f in custom_fields
+                            for f in self.initial_data["custom_fields"]
                             if f["field"]["id"] == existing_field.field.id
                         ],
                     )
diff --git a/src/documents/tests/test_api_custom_fields.py b/src/documents/tests/test_api_custom_fields.py
index 084ba04cb..6e8206d76 100644
--- a/src/documents/tests/test_api_custom_fields.py
+++ b/src/documents/tests/test_api_custom_fields.py
@@ -82,35 +82,30 @@ class TestCustomField(DirectoriesMixin, APITestCase):
                     {
                         "field": {
                             "id": custom_field_string.id,
-                            "name": custom_field_string.name,
                         },
                         "value": "test value",
                     },
                     {
                         "field": {
                             "id": custom_field_date.id,
-                            "name": custom_field_date.name,
                         },
                         "value": "2023-10-31",
                     },
                     {
                         "field": {
                             "id": custom_field_int.id,
-                            "name": custom_field_int.name,
                         },
                         "value": 3,
                     },
                     {
                         "field": {
                             "id": custom_field_boolean.id,
-                            "name": custom_field_boolean.name,
                         },
                         "value": True,
                     },
                     {
                         "field": {
                             "id": custom_field_url.id,
-                            "name": custom_field_url.name,
                         },
                         "value": "https://example.com",
                     },