diff --git a/services/template-manager/src/models/custom_template.js b/services/template-manager/src/models/custom_template.js
index e23742c..da633c2 100644
--- a/services/template-manager/src/models/custom_template.js
+++ b/services/template-manager/src/models/custom_template.js
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ class CustomTemplate {
 
   // Check for duplicate custom templates based on title, type, category, and user_id
   static async checkForDuplicate(templateData) {
+    const normalizedTitle = (templateData.title || '').toLowerCase();
     console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] Checking for duplicates:', {
       type: templateData.type,
       title: templateData.title,
+      normalizedTitle,
       category: templateData.category,
       user_id: templateData.user_id
     });
@@ -58,24 +60,53 @@ class CustomTemplate {
       return typeResult.rows[0];
     }
     
-    // Check for same title + category for same user
+    // Check for same title for same user (category-agnostic)
     if (templateData.user_id) {
       const titleQuery = `
         SELECT id, title, type, category, user_id FROM custom_templates 
-        WHERE LOWER(title) = LOWER($1) AND category = $2 AND user_id = $3
+        WHERE LOWER(title) = LOWER($1) AND user_id = $2
       `;
       
-      const titleResult = await database.query(titleQuery, [
-        templateData.title,
-        templateData.category,
-        templateData.user_id
-      ]);
+      const titleParams = [templateData.title, templateData.user_id];
+      console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] title check params:', titleParams);
+      const titleResult = await database.query(titleQuery, titleParams);
       
       if (titleResult.rows.length > 0) {
-        console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] Found duplicate by title+category+user:', titleResult.rows[0]);
+        const row = titleResult.rows[0];
+        const titleMatch = (row.title || '').toLowerCase() === normalizedTitle;
+        console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] Found duplicate by title+user:', {
+          id: row.id,
+          title: row.title,
+          type: row.type,
+          category: row.category,
+          user_id: row.user_id,
+          titleMatch
+        });
         return titleResult.rows[0];
       }
     }
+
+    // Also check if main templates already have the same title (case-insensitive)
+    const mainTitleQuery = `
+      SELECT id, title, type, category FROM templates 
+      WHERE is_active = true AND LOWER(title) = LOWER($1)
+      LIMIT 1
+    `;
+    const mainTitleParams = [templateData.title];
+    console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] main title check params:', mainTitleParams);
+    const mainTitleResult = await database.query(mainTitleQuery, mainTitleParams);
+    if (mainTitleResult.rows.length > 0) {
+      const row = mainTitleResult.rows[0];
+      const titleMatch = (row.title || '').toLowerCase() === normalizedTitle;
+      console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] Found duplicate title in main templates:', {
+        id: row.id,
+        title: row.title,
+        type: row.type,
+        category: row.category,
+        titleMatch
+      });
+      return mainTitleResult.rows[0];
+    }
     
     console.log('[CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate] No duplicates found');
     return null;
diff --git a/services/template-manager/src/models/template.js b/services/template-manager/src/models/template.js
index f7303e1..563b9e4 100644
--- a/services/template-manager/src/models/template.js
+++ b/services/template-manager/src/models/template.js
@@ -87,23 +87,54 @@ class Template {
 
   // Check for duplicate templates based on title, type, and category
   static async checkForDuplicate(templateData) {
+    const normalizedTitle = (templateData.title || '').toLowerCase();
+    const incomingType = templateData.type;
+    console.log('[Template.checkForDuplicate] input:', {
+      type: incomingType,
+      title: templateData.title,
+      normalizedTitle
+    });
     const query = `
       SELECT id, title, type, category FROM templates 
       WHERE is_active = true AND (
         type = $1 OR 
-        (LOWER(title) = LOWER($2) AND category = $3)
+        LOWER(title) = LOWER($2)
       )
     `;
     
-    const result = await database.query(query, [
-      templateData.type,
-      templateData.title,
-      templateData.category
-    ]);
+    const params = [incomingType, templateData.title];
+    console.log('[Template.checkForDuplicate] query params:', params);
+    const result = await database.query(query, params);
+    if (result.rows.length > 0) {
+      const row = result.rows[0];
+      const titleMatch = (row.title || '').toLowerCase() === normalizedTitle;
+      const typeMatch = (row.type || '') === incomingType;
+      console.log('[Template.checkForDuplicate] found duplicate:', {
+        id: row.id,
+        title: row.title,
+        type: row.type,
+        category: row.category,
+        titleMatch,
+        typeMatch
+      });
+    } else {
+      console.log('[Template.checkForDuplicate] no duplicates found');
+    }
     
     return result.rows.length > 0 ? result.rows[0] : null;
   }
 
+  // Get a template by title (case-insensitive)
+  static async getByTitle(title) {
+    const query = `
+      SELECT * FROM templates 
+      WHERE is_active = true AND LOWER(title) = LOWER($1)
+      LIMIT 1
+    `;
+    const result = await database.query(query, [title]);
+    return result.rows.length > 0 ? new Template(result.rows[0]) : null;
+  }
+
   // Create new template
   static async create(templateData) {
     const id = uuidv4();
diff --git a/services/template-manager/src/routes/templates.js b/services/template-manager/src/routes/templates.js
index 33077a5..418a707 100644
--- a/services/template-manager/src/routes/templates.js
+++ b/services/template-manager/src/routes/templates.js
@@ -562,7 +562,17 @@ router.get('/:id([0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{12})/f
 router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const templateData = req.body;
-    console.log('🏗️ Creating new template - incoming body:', JSON.stringify(templateData));
+    const debugPayload = {
+      raw: templateData,
+      normalized: {
+        title: (templateData.title || '').toLowerCase(),
+        type: templateData.type,
+        category: templateData.category,
+        isCustom: templateData.isCustom ?? templateData.is_custom ?? false,
+        user_id: templateData.user_id || templateData.userId || null
+      }
+    };
+    console.log('🏗️ Creating new template - incoming body:', JSON.stringify(debugPayload));
     
     // Validate required fields
     const requiredFields = ['type', 'title', 'category'];
@@ -579,10 +589,16 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
     // Check for duplicates in regular templates first
     const existingTemplate = await Template.checkForDuplicate(templateData);
     if (existingTemplate) {
+      const isTitleDuplicate = (existingTemplate.title || '').toLowerCase() === (templateData.title || '').toLowerCase();
+      const isTypeDuplicate = (existingTemplate.type || '') === (templateData.type || '');
+      console.log('[POST /api/templates] duplicate detected in main templates:', { existingTemplate, isTitleDuplicate, isTypeDuplicate });
+      const message = isTitleDuplicate
+        ? `A template with this name already exists: "${existingTemplate.title}"`
+        : `A template with this type already exists: "${existingTemplate.title}" (type: ${existingTemplate.type})`;
       return res.status(409).json({
         success: false,
-        error: 'Duplicate template detected',
-        message: `A template with similar characteristics already exists: "${existingTemplate.title}" (type: ${existingTemplate.type})`,
+        error: isTitleDuplicate ? 'Template name already exists' : 'Template type already exists',
+        message,
         existing_template: {
           id: existingTemplate.id,
           title: existingTemplate.title,
@@ -631,12 +647,19 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
           user_id: incomingUserId
         };
         
+        console.log('[POST /api/templates - custom] duplicate payload:', duplicatePayload);
         const existingCustomTemplate = await CustomTemplate.checkForDuplicate(duplicatePayload);
         if (existingCustomTemplate) {
+          const isTitleDuplicate = (existingCustomTemplate.title || '').toLowerCase() === (templateData.title || '').toLowerCase();
+          const isTypeDuplicate = (existingCustomTemplate.type || '') === (templateData.type || '');
+          console.log('[POST /api/templates - custom] duplicate detected in custom/main:', { existingCustomTemplate, isTitleDuplicate, isTypeDuplicate });
+          const message = isTitleDuplicate
+            ? `You already have a template with this name: "${existingCustomTemplate.title}"`
+            : `You already have a template with this type: "${existingCustomTemplate.title}" (type: ${existingCustomTemplate.type})`;
           return res.status(409).json({
             success: false,
-            error: 'Duplicate custom template detected',
-            message: `You already have a similar template: "${existingCustomTemplate.title}" (type: ${existingCustomTemplate.type})`,
+            error: isTitleDuplicate ? 'Template name already exists' : 'Template type already exists',
+            message,
             existing_template: {
               id: existingCustomTemplate.id,
               title: existingCustomTemplate.title,