diff --git a/packages/plugin-nested-docs/src/hooks/resaveChildren.ts b/packages/plugin-nested-docs/src/hooks/resaveChildren.ts
index 27321a91b80..31120e9a8a1 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-nested-docs/src/hooks/resaveChildren.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-nested-docs/src/hooks/resaveChildren.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ type ResaveArgs = {
 
 const resave = async ({ collection, doc, draft, pluginConfig, req }: ResaveArgs) => {
   const parentSlug = pluginConfig?.parentFieldSlug || 'parent'
-  const parentDocIsPublished = doc._status === 'published'
-  const children = await req.payload.find({
+  const breadcrumbSlug = pluginConfig.breadcrumbsFieldSlug || 'breadcrumbs'
+
+  if (draft) {
+    // If the parent is a draft, don't resave children
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const draftChildren = await req.payload.find({
     collection: collection.slug,
     depth: 0,
     draft: true,
@@ -36,51 +42,67 @@ const resave = async ({ collection, doc, draft, pluginConfig, req }: ResaveArgs)
     },
   })
 
-  const breadcrumbSlug = pluginConfig.breadcrumbsFieldSlug || 'breadcrumbs'
-
-  try {
-    await children.docs.reduce(async (priorSave, child) => {
-      await priorSave
+  const publishedChildren = await req.payload.find({
+    collection: collection.slug,
+    depth: 0,
+    draft: false,
+    locale: req.locale,
+    req,
+    where: {
+      [parentSlug]: {
+        equals: doc.id,
+      },
+    },
+  })
 
-      const childIsPublished =
-        typeof collection.versions === 'object' &&
-        collection.versions.drafts &&
-        child._status === 'published'
+  const childrenById = [...draftChildren.docs, ...publishedChildren.docs].reduce((acc, child) => {
+    acc[child.id] = acc[child.id] || []
+    acc[child.id].push(child)
+    return acc
+  }, {})
 
-      if (!parentDocIsPublished && childIsPublished) {
-        return
+  const sortedChildren = Object.values(childrenById).flatMap((group: JsonObject[]) => {
+    return group.sort((a, b) => {
+      if (a.updatedAt !== b.updatedAt) {
+        return a.updatedAt > b.updatedAt ? -1 : 1
       }
+      return a._status === 'published' ? -1 : 1
+    })
+  })
 
-      await req.payload.update({
-        id: child.id,
-        collection: collection.slug,
-        data: {
-          ...child,
-          [breadcrumbSlug]: await populateBreadcrumbs(req, pluginConfig, collection, child),
-        },
-        depth: 0,
-        draft: !childIsPublished,
-        locale: req.locale,
-        req,
-      })
-    }, Promise.resolve())
-  } catch (err: unknown) {
-    req.payload.logger.error(
-      `Nested Docs plugin has had an error while re-saving a child document${
-        draft ? ' as draft' : ' as published'
-      }.`,
-    )
-    req.payload.logger.error(err)
+  if (sortedChildren) {
+    try {
+      for (const child of sortedChildren) {
+        const isDraft = child._status !== 'published'
 
-    // Use type assertion until we can use instanceof reliably with our Error types
-    if (
-      (err as ValidationError)?.name === 'ValidationError' &&
-      (err as ValidationError)?.data?.errors?.length
-    ) {
-      throw new APIError(
-        'Could not publish or save changes: One or more children are invalid.',
-        400,
+        await req.payload.update({
+          id: child.id,
+          collection: collection.slug,
+          data: {
+            ...child,
+            [breadcrumbSlug]: await populateBreadcrumbs(req, pluginConfig, collection, child),
+          },
+          depth: 0,
+          draft: isDraft,
+          locale: req.locale,
+          req,
+        })
+      }
+    } catch (err: unknown) {
+      req.payload.logger.error(
+        `Nested Docs plugin encountered an error while re-saving a child document.`,
       )
+      req.payload.logger.error(err)
+
+      if (
+        (err as ValidationError)?.name === 'ValidationError' &&
+        (err as ValidationError)?.data?.errors?.length
+      ) {
+        throw new APIError(
+          'Could not publish or save changes: One or more children are invalid.',
+          400,
+        )
+      }
     }
   }
 }
@@ -91,20 +113,10 @@ export const resaveChildren =
     await resave({
       collection,
       doc,
-      draft: true,
+      draft: doc._status === 'published' ? false : true,
       pluginConfig,
       req,
     })
 
-    if (doc._status === 'published') {
-      await resave({
-        collection,
-        doc,
-        draft: false,
-        pluginConfig,
-        req,
-      })
-    }
-
     return undefined
   }