diff --git a/pulp-glue/src/pulp_glue/common/context.py b/pulp-glue/src/pulp_glue/common/context.py
index 5e6fc3426..ff9a11aa6 100644
--- a/pulp-glue/src/pulp_glue/common/context.py
+++ b/pulp-glue/src/pulp_glue/common/context.py
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ def _inner(f: T) -> T:
 
 
 class PreprocessedEntityDefinition(dict[str, t.Any]):
-    pass
+    def __init__(self, /, *args: t.Any, _partial: bool, **kwargs: t.Any):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._partial: bool = _partial
 
 
 EntityDefinition = dict[str, t.Any] | PreprocessedEntityDefinition
@@ -132,7 +134,8 @@ def preprocess_payload(payload: EntityDefinition) -> EntityDefinition:
         return payload
 
     return PreprocessedEntityDefinition(
-        {key: _preprocess_value(value) for key, value in payload.items() if value is not None}
+        {key: _preprocess_value(value) for key, value in payload.items() if value is not None},
+        _partial=False,
     )
 
 
@@ -930,6 +933,15 @@ def _preprocess_value(cls, key: str, value: t.Any) -> t.Any:
             return None
         return _preprocess_value(value)
 
+    def _preprocess_entity(self, body: EntityDefinition, partial: bool = False) -> EntityDefinition:
+        if isinstance(body, PreprocessedEntityDefinition):
+            assert body._partial == partial
+            return body
+        else:
+            return PreprocessedEntityDefinition(
+                self.preprocess_entity(body, partial), _partial=partial
+            )
+
     def preprocess_entity(self, body: EntityDefinition, partial: bool = False) -> EntityDefinition:
         """
         Filter to prepare the body for a create or update call.
@@ -944,16 +956,11 @@ def preprocess_entity(self, body: EntityDefinition, partial: bool = False) -> En
         Returns:
             The body ready to be passed to `call`.
         """
-        if isinstance(body, PreprocessedEntityDefinition):
-            return body
-
-        return PreprocessedEntityDefinition(
-            {
-                key: self._preprocess_value(key, value)
-                for key, value in body.items()
-                if value is not None
-            }
-        )
+        return {
+            key: self._preprocess_value(key, value)
+            for key, value in body.items()
+            if value is not None
+        }
 
     def list_iterator(
         self,
@@ -1096,7 +1103,7 @@ def create(
         if parameters:
             _parameters.update(parameters)
         if body is not None:
-            body = self.preprocess_entity(body, partial=False)
+            body = self._preprocess_entity(body, partial=False)
         if self.pulp_ctx.fake_mode:
             body["pulp_href"] = "<FAKE ENTITY>"
             self._entity = body
@@ -1155,7 +1162,7 @@ def update(
         if parameters:
             _parameters.update(parameters)
         if body is not None:
-            body = self.preprocess_entity(body, partial=True)
+            body = self._preprocess_entity(body, partial=True)
         if self.pulp_ctx.fake_mode:
             assert self._entity is not None
             if body is not None:
@@ -1342,14 +1349,14 @@ def converge(
                 return True, None, self.create(desired_entity)
             else:
                 update_attributes = {}
-                for k, v in self.preprocess_entity(desired_attributes, partial=True).items():
+                for k, v in self._preprocess_entity(desired_attributes, partial=True).items():
                     if entity.get(k) != v:
                         update_attributes[k] = v
                 if update_attributes:
                     return (
                         True,
                         entity,
-                        self.update(PreprocessedEntityDefinition(update_attributes)),
+                        self.update(PreprocessedEntityDefinition(update_attributes, _partial=True)),
                     )
         return False, entity, entity
 
diff --git a/pulp-glue/tests/test_entity_context.py b/pulp-glue/tests/test_entity_context.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da211461b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pulp-glue/tests/test_entity_context.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from pulp_glue.common.context import PreprocessedEntityDefinition, PulpContext, PulpEntityContext
+
+
+def test_preprocess_entity_is_only_called_once(mock_pulp_ctx: PulpContext) -> None:
+    entity_ctx = PulpEntityContext(mock_pulp_ctx)
+
+    preprocessed = entity_ctx._preprocess_entity({})
+    assert isinstance(preprocessed, PreprocessedEntityDefinition)
+
+    # Now call it again and see if the returned object is the same, not just equal.
+    assert preprocessed is entity_ctx._preprocess_entity(preprocessed)