diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
index caa7a2a3e4..dd379e02f8 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <param name="name">Name of the content</param>
         /// <param name="parent">Parent <see cref="IContent"/> object</param>
         /// <param name="contentType">ContentType for the current Content object</param>
+        /// <param name="culture">An optional culture.</param>
         public Content(string name, IContent parent, IContentType contentType, string culture = null)
             : this(name, parent, contentType, new PropertyCollection(), culture)
         { }
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <param name="parent">Parent <see cref="IContent"/> object</param>
         /// <param name="contentType">ContentType for the current Content object</param>
         /// <param name="properties">Collection of properties</param>
+        /// <param name="culture">An optional culture.</param>
         public Content(string name, IContent parent, IContentType contentType, PropertyCollection properties, string culture = null)
             : base(name, parent, contentType, properties, culture)
         {
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <param name="name">Name of the content</param>
         /// <param name="parentId">Id of the Parent content</param>
         /// <param name="contentType">ContentType for the current Content object</param>
+        /// <param name="culture">An optional culture.</param>
         public Content(string name, int parentId, IContentType contentType, string culture = null)
             : this(name, parentId, contentType, new PropertyCollection(), culture)
         { }
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <param name="parentId">Id of the Parent content</param>
         /// <param name="contentType">ContentType for the current Content object</param>
         /// <param name="properties">Collection of properties</param>
+        /// <param name="culture">An optional culture.</param>
         public Content(string name, int parentId, IContentType contentType, PropertyCollection properties, string culture = null)
             : base(name, parentId, contentType, properties, culture)
         {
@@ -213,23 +217,23 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         [IgnoreDataMember]
         public IEnumerable<string> PublishedCultures => _publishInfos?.Keys ?? Enumerable.Empty<string>();
 
-        //fixme should this return false if ID == 0?
-        //fixme should this return false if IsCultureAvailable(culture) is false?
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public bool IsCulturePublished(string culture)
+            // just check _publishInfos
+            // a non-available culture could not become published anyways
             =>  _publishInfos != null && _publishInfos.ContainsKey(culture); 
 
-        //fixme should this return false if ID == 0?
-        //fixme should this return false if IsCultureAvailable(culture) is false?
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public bool WasCulturePublished(string culture)
+            // just check _publishInfosOrig - a copy of _publishInfos
+            // a non-available culture could not become published anyways
             => _publishInfosOrig != null && _publishInfosOrig.ContainsKey(culture); 
 
-        //fixme should this return false if ID == 0?
-        //fixme should this return false if IsCultureAvailable(culture) is false?
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public bool IsCultureEdited(string culture)
-            => !IsCulturePublished(culture) || (_editedCultures != null && _editedCultures.Contains(culture)); 
+            => IsCultureAvailable(culture) && // is available, and
+               (!IsCulturePublished(culture) || // is not published, or
+                (_editedCultures != null && _editedCultures.Contains(culture))); // is edited
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         [IgnoreDataMember]
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
index 9e79a75e25..5910d01d34 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <para>A culture becomes published whenever values for this culture are published,
         /// and the content published name for this culture is non-null. It becomes non-published
         /// whenever values for this culture are unpublished.</para>
+        /// <para>A culture becomes published as soon as PublishCulture has been invoked,
+        /// even though the document might now have been saved yet (and can have no identity).</para>
         /// </remarks>
         bool IsCulturePublished(string culture);
 
@@ -107,8 +109,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// Gets a value indicated whether a given culture is edited.
         /// </summary>
         /// <remarks>
-        /// <para>A culture is edited when it is not published, or when it is published but
-        /// it has changes.</para>
+        /// <para>A culture is edited when it is available, and not published or published but
+        /// with changes.</para>
+        /// <para>A culture can be edited even though the document might now have been saved yet (and can have no identity).</para>
         /// </remarks>
         bool IsCultureEdited(string culture);
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
index 093723cea5..28c0b0dec6 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
@@ -1073,7 +1073,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
                     NodeId = content.Id,
                     LanguageId = LanguageRepository.GetIdByIsoCode(culture) ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Not a valid culture."),
                     Culture = culture,
-                    Edited = !content.IsCulturePublished(culture) || (editedCultures != null && editedCultures.Contains(culture)) // if not published, always edited
+
+                    // if not published, always edited
+                    // no need to check for availability: it *is* available since it is in content.CultureNames
+                    Edited = !content.IsCulturePublished(culture) || (editedCultures != null && editedCultures.Contains(culture))
                 };
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
index f1fbfe7940..8c3cc5f557 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
                     //Check if a mandatory language is missing from being published
 
                     var variant = cultureVariants.First(x => x.Culture == lang.IsoCode);
-                    var isPublished = contentItem.PersistedContent.IsCultureAvailable(lang.IsoCode) && contentItem.PersistedContent.IsCulturePublished(lang.IsoCode);
+                    var isPublished = contentItem.PersistedContent.IsCulturePublished(lang.IsoCode);
                     var isPublishing = variant.Publish;
 
                     if (!isPublished && !isPublishing)
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/ContentSavedStateResolver.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/ContentSavedStateResolver.cs
index 1c9af34388..4fb4d3370a 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/ContentSavedStateResolver.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/ContentSavedStateResolver.cs
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Models.Mapping
                         ? PublishedState.Published
                         : PublishedState.Unpublished;
 
-                //it can only be 'edited' if the content item is persisted and if the variant has a name and it's flagged as edited
-                isEdited = source.Id > 0 && source.IsCultureAvailable(culture) && source.IsCultureEdited(culture);
+                isEdited = source.IsCultureEdited(culture);
             }
             else
             {
@@ -37,17 +36,16 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Models.Mapping
                     ? PublishedState.Unpublished
                     : PublishedState.Published;
 
-                isEdited = source.Id > 0 && source.Edited;
+                isEdited = source.Edited;
             }
 
-            //now we can calculate the content state
-            if (!isEdited && publishedState == PublishedState.Unpublished)
-                return ContentSavedState.NotCreated;
-            if (isEdited && publishedState == PublishedState.Unpublished)
-                return ContentSavedState.Draft;
-            if (!isEdited && publishedState == PublishedState.Published)
-                return ContentSavedState.Published;
-            return ContentSavedState.PublishedPendingChanges;
+            if (publishedState == PublishedState.Unpublished)
+                return isEdited && source.Id > 0 ? ContentSavedState.Draft : ContentSavedState.NotCreated;
+
+            if (publishedState == PublishedState.Published)
+                return isEdited ? ContentSavedState.PublishedPendingChanges : ContentSavedState.Published;
+
+            throw new NotSupportedException($"PublishedState {publishedState} is not supported.");
         }
     }
 }