diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/FwDataMiniLcmApi.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/FwDataMiniLcmApi.cs
index 788bad33b..a701101bb 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/FwDataMiniLcmApi.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/FwDataMiniLcmApi.cs
@@ -136,9 +136,15 @@ private WritingSystem FromLcmWritingSystem(CoreWritingSystemDefinition ws, int i
         };
     }
 
-    public Task<WritingSystem> GetWritingSystem(WritingSystemId id, WritingSystemType type)
+    public async Task<WritingSystem> GetWritingSystem(WritingSystemId id, WritingSystemType type)
     {
-        throw new NotImplementedException();
+        var writingSystems = await GetWritingSystems();
+        return type switch
+        {
+            WritingSystemType.Vernacular => writingSystems.Vernacular.FirstOrDefault(ws => ws.WsId == id),
+            WritingSystemType.Analysis => writingSystems.Analysis.FirstOrDefault(ws => ws.WsId == id),
+            _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(type), type, null)
+        } ?? throw new NullReferenceException($"unable to find writing system with id {id}");
     }
 
     internal void CompleteExemplars(WritingSystems writingSystems)
@@ -208,13 +214,12 @@ await Cache.DoUsingNewOrCurrentUOW("Update WritingSystem",
             "Revert WritingSystem",
             async () =>
             {
-                var updateProxy = new UpdateWritingSystemProxy(lcmWritingSystem, this)
+                var updateProxy = new UpdateWritingSystemProxy(lcmWritingSystem)
                 {
                     Id = Guid.Empty,
                     Type = type,
                 };
                 update.Apply(updateProxy);
-                updateProxy.CommitUpdate(Cache);
             });
         return await GetWritingSystem(id, type);
     }
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/UpdateProxy/UpdateWritingSystemProxy.cs b/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/UpdateProxy/UpdateWritingSystemProxy.cs
index eaf849fcb..3baf370de 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/UpdateProxy/UpdateWritingSystemProxy.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/FwDataMiniLcmBridge/Api/UpdateProxy/UpdateWritingSystemProxy.cs
@@ -9,60 +9,43 @@ namespace FwDataMiniLcmBridge.Api.UpdateProxy;
 
 public record UpdateWritingSystemProxy : WritingSystem
 {
-    private readonly CoreWritingSystemDefinition _origLcmWritingSystem;
-    private readonly CoreWritingSystemDefinition _workingLcmWritingSystem;
-    private readonly FwDataMiniLcmApi _lexboxLcmApi;
+    private readonly CoreWritingSystemDefinition _lcmWritingSystem;
 
     [SetsRequiredMembers]
-    public UpdateWritingSystemProxy(CoreWritingSystemDefinition lcmWritingSystem, FwDataMiniLcmApi lexboxLcmApi)
+    public UpdateWritingSystemProxy(CoreWritingSystemDefinition lcmWritingSystem)
     {
-        _origLcmWritingSystem = lcmWritingSystem;
-        _workingLcmWritingSystem = new CoreWritingSystemDefinition(lcmWritingSystem, cloneId: true);
-        base.Abbreviation = Abbreviation = _origLcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation ?? "";
-        base.Name = Name = _origLcmWritingSystem.LanguageName ?? "";
-        base.Font = Font = _origLcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName ?? "";
-        _lexboxLcmApi = lexboxLcmApi;
-    }
-
-    public void CommitUpdate(LcmCache cache)
-    {
-        if (_workingLcmWritingSystem.Id == _origLcmWritingSystem.Id)
-        {
-            cache.ServiceLocator.WritingSystemManager.Set(_workingLcmWritingSystem);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            // Changing the ID of a writing system requires LCM to do a lot of work, so only go through that process if absolutely required
-            WritingSystemServices.MergeWritingSystems(cache, _workingLcmWritingSystem, _origLcmWritingSystem);
-        }
+        _lcmWritingSystem = lcmWritingSystem;
+        base.Abbreviation = Abbreviation = _lcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation ?? "";
+        base.Name = Name = _lcmWritingSystem.LanguageName ?? "";
+        base.Font = Font = _lcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName ?? "";
     }
 
     public override required WritingSystemId WsId
     {
-        get => _workingLcmWritingSystem.Id;
-        set => _workingLcmWritingSystem.Id = value;
+        get => _lcmWritingSystem.Id;
+        set => throw new NotSupportedException("Changing the ID of a writing system is not supported");
     }
 
     public override required string Name
     {
-        get => _workingLcmWritingSystem.LanguageName;
+        get => _lcmWritingSystem.LanguageName;
         set { } // Silently do nothing; name should be derived from WsId at all times, so if the name should change then so should the WsId
     }
 
     public override required string Abbreviation
     {
-        get => _workingLcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation;
-        set => _workingLcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation = value;
+        get => _lcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation;
+        set => _lcmWritingSystem.Abbreviation = value;
     }
 
     public override required string Font
     {
-        get => _workingLcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName;
+        get => _lcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName;
         set
         {
-            if (value != _workingLcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName)
+            if (value != _lcmWritingSystem.DefaultFontName)
             {
-                _workingLcmWritingSystem.DefaultFont = new FontDefinition(value);
+                _lcmWritingSystem.DefaultFont = new FontDefinition(value);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/WritingSystemTestsBase.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/WritingSystemTestsBase.cs
index 3d740d65a..99534c47f 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/WritingSystemTestsBase.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/WritingSystemTestsBase.cs
@@ -64,4 +64,15 @@ await Api.CreateWritingSystem(WritingSystemType.Vernacular,
             });
         await action.Should().ThrowAsync<DuplicateObjectException>();
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task UpdateExistingWritingSystem_Works()
+    {
+        var writingSystems = await Api.GetWritingSystems();
+        var writingSystem = writingSystems.Vernacular.First();
+        var original = writingSystem.Copy();
+        writingSystem.Abbreviation = "New Abbreviation";
+        var updatedWritingSystem = await Api.UpdateWritingSystem(original, writingSystem);
+        updatedWritingSystem.Abbreviation.Should().Be("New Abbreviation");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/WritingSystem.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/WritingSystem.cs
index 2684b1dc9..93224e74e 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/WritingSystem.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Models/WritingSystem.cs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace MiniLcm.Models;
 
-public record WritingSystem: IObjectWithId
+public record WritingSystem: IObjectWithId<WritingSystem>
 {
     public required Guid Id { get; set; }
     public virtual required WritingSystemId WsId { get; set; }
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public void RemoveReference(Guid id, DateTimeOffset time)
     {
     }
 
-    public IObjectWithId Copy()
+    public WritingSystem Copy()
     {
         return new WritingSystem
         {
diff --git a/frontend/viewer/src/lib/writing-system/WritingSystemEditor.svelte b/frontend/viewer/src/lib/writing-system/WritingSystemEditor.svelte
index 32f2c0d1d..71fe031e6 100644
--- a/frontend/viewer/src/lib/writing-system/WritingSystemEditor.svelte
+++ b/frontend/viewer/src/lib/writing-system/WritingSystemEditor.svelte
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
 </script>
 <form class="flex flex-col gap-2 p-2">
     <CrdtTextField label="Language Code" readonly={!newWs} on:change={() => onChange()} bind:value={writingSystem.wsId}/>
-    <CrdtTextField label="Name" on:change={() => onChange()} bind:value={writingSystem.name}/>
+<!--    todo changing the name for FieldWorks writing systems is not yet supported-->
+    <CrdtTextField label="Name" readonly={!newWs} on:change={() => onChange()} bind:value={writingSystem.name}/>
     <CrdtTextField label="Abbreviation" on:change={() => onChange()} bind:value={writingSystem.abbreviation}/>
     <CrdtTextField label="Font" on:change={() => onChange()} bind:value={writingSystem.font}/>
     {#if newWs}