diff --git a/rdmo/core/tests/utils.py b/rdmo/core/tests/utils.py
index 3bf4db8c4..1fce8f674 100644
--- a/rdmo/core/tests/utils.py
+++ b/rdmo/core/tests/utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import hashlib
+
 from rdmo.core.models import Model
 from rdmo.core.tests.constants import multisite_status_map, status_map_object_permissions
 
@@ -30,3 +32,7 @@ def get_obj_perms_status_code(instance, username, method):
     except KeyError:
         # not all users are defined in the method_instance_perms_map
         return multisite_status_map[method][username]
+
+
+def compute_checksum(string):
+    return hashlib.sha1(string).hexdigest()
diff --git a/rdmo/projects/tests/test_utils.py b/rdmo/projects/tests/test_utils.py
index cbb2f4af0..db2bfe2c5 100644
--- a/rdmo/projects/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/rdmo/projects/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
 from django.http import QueryDict
 
+from rdmo.core.tests.utils import compute_checksum
+
 from ..filters import ProjectFilter
 from ..models import Project
 from ..utils import copy_project, set_context_querystring_with_filter_and_page
@@ -96,11 +98,14 @@ def test_copy_project(db, files):
             assert getattr(value_copy, field) == getattr(value, field), field
 
         if value_copy.file:
+            assert value_copy.file.path != value.file.path
             assert value_copy.file.path == value_copy.file.path.replace(
                 f'/projects/{project.id}/values/{value.id}/',
                 f'/projects/{project_copy.id}/values/{value_copy.id}/'
             )
-            assert value_copy.file.size == value_copy.file.size
+            assert value_copy.file.size == value.file.size
+            assert compute_checksum(value_copy.file.open('rb').read()) == \
+                   compute_checksum(value.file.open('rb').read())
         else:
             assert not value.file
 
@@ -113,10 +118,13 @@ def test_copy_project(db, files):
                 assert getattr(value_copy, field) == getattr(value, field)
 
             if value_copy.file:
+                assert value_copy.file.path != value.file.path
                 assert value_copy.file.path == value_copy.file.path.replace(
                     f'/projects/{project.id}/snapshot/{snapshot.id}/values/{value.id}/',
                     f'/projects/{project_copy.id}/snapshot/{snapshot.id}/values/{value_copy.id}/'
                 )
-                assert value_copy.file.open('rb').read() == value_copy.file.open('rb').read()
+                assert value_copy.file.size == value.file.size
+                assert compute_checksum(value_copy.file.open('rb').read()) == \
+                       compute_checksum(value.file.open('rb').read())
             else:
                 assert not value.file
diff --git a/rdmo/projects/utils.py b/rdmo/projects/utils.py
index f9a4ec2c0..ab619b54b 100644
--- a/rdmo/projects/utils.py
+++ b/rdmo/projects/utils.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
-from django.db import connection
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.timezone import now
@@ -54,9 +53,6 @@ def copy_project(project, site, owners):
         for snapshot in project.snapshots.all()
     }
 
-    # create a temporary buffer for all values with files
-    file_values = []
-
     # unset the id, set current site and update timestamps
     project.id = None
     project.site = site
@@ -81,9 +77,12 @@ def copy_project(project, site, owners):
         value.created = timestamp
 
         if value.file:
-            file_values.append((value, value.file_name, value.file))
-
-        project_values.append(value)
+            # file values cannot be bulk created since we need their id and only postgres provides that (reliably)
+            # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/models/querysets/#bulk-create
+            value.save()
+            value.copy_file(value.file_name, value.file)
+        else:
+            project_values.append(value)
 
     # insert the new values using bulk_create
     Value.objects.bulk_create(project_values)
@@ -103,32 +102,14 @@ def copy_project(project, site, owners):
             value.created = timestamp
 
             if value.file:
-                file_values.append((value, value.file_name, value.file))
-
-            project_snapshot_values.append(value)
+                value.save()
+                value.copy_file(value.file_name, value.file)
+            else:
+                project_snapshot_values.append(value)
 
         # insert the new snapshot values using bulk_create
         Value.objects.bulk_create(project_snapshot_values)
 
-    for value, file_name, file_content in file_values:
-        if connection.vendor == 'postgres':
-            # bulk_create will only set the primary key on cool databases
-            # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/models/querysets/#bulk-create
-            value.copy_file(file_name, file_content)
-        else:
-            # refetch the value from the database, we use filter and first here to be more
-            # stable against weird cases, where collection_index is not unique
-            db_value = Value.objects.filter(
-                project=value.project,
-                snapshot=value.snapshot,
-                attribute=value.attribute,
-                set_prefix=value.set_prefix,
-                set_index=value.set_index,
-                collection_index=value.collection_index
-            ).first()
-            if db_value and db_value.file_name == file_name:
-                db_value.copy_file(file_name, file_content)
-
     for owner in owners:
         membership = Membership(project=project, user=owner, role='owner')
         membership.save()