diff --git a/apps/demo-api/src/app/function/guestbook/guestbookentry.function.spec.ts b/apps/demo-api/src/app/function/guestbook/guestbookentry.function.spec.ts
index 55895f317..8e614a5cb 100644
--- a/apps/demo-api/src/app/function/guestbook/guestbookentry.function.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/demo-api/src/app/function/guestbook/guestbookentry.function.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { guestbookEntryUpdateEntry } from './guestbookentry.update';
 import { GuestbookEntry, UpdateGuestbookEntryParams } from '@dereekb/demo-firebase';
 import { demoGuestbookEntryContext, DemoApiFunctionContextFixture, demoApiFunctionContextFactory, demoAuthorizedUserContext, demoGuestbookContext } from '../../../test/fixture';
 import { WrappedCloudFunction } from '@dereekb/firebase-server';
+import { isDate, isValid } from 'date-fns';
 
 demoApiFunctionContextFactory((f: DemoApiFunctionContextFixture) => {
 
@@ -81,11 +82,17 @@ demoApiFunctionContextFactory((f: DemoApiFunctionContextFixture) => {
                 expect(exists).toBe(true);
 
                 data = (await userGuestbookEntry.snapshotData())!;
+
+
                 expect(data).toBeDefined();
                 expect(data?.message).toBe(newMessage);
                 expect(data?.signed).toBe(signed);
                 expect(data?.createdAt).not.toBeFalsy();
                 expect(data?.updatedAt).not.toBeFalsy();
+                expect(isDate(data?.createdAt)).toBe(true);
+                expect(isDate(data?.updatedAt)).toBe(true);
+                expect(isValid(data?.createdAt)).toBe(true);
+                expect(isValid(data?.updatedAt)).toBe(true);
               });
 
             });
diff --git a/apps/demo-firebase/src/lib/guestbook/guestbook.ts b/apps/demo-firebase/src/lib/guestbook/guestbook.ts
index 12798f83e..a060b835f 100644
--- a/apps/demo-firebase/src/lib/guestbook/guestbook.ts
+++ b/apps/demo-firebase/src/lib/guestbook/guestbook.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export interface GuestbookEntry extends UserRelatedById {
    */
   createdAt: Date;
   /**
-   * Whether or not the entry has been published. This cannot be changed once published.
+   * Whether or not the entry has been published. It can be unpublished at any time by the user.
    */
   published?: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/app/modules/guestbook/container/guestbook.entry.popup.component.ts b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/app/modules/guestbook/container/guestbook.entry.popup.component.ts
index 1a1aa8297..abc8055ff 100644
--- a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/app/modules/guestbook/container/guestbook.entry.popup.component.ts
+++ b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/app/modules/guestbook/container/guestbook.entry.popup.component.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import { MatDialog } from '@angular/material/dialog';
 import { HandleActionFunction } from '@dereekb/dbx-core';
 import { DemoGuestbookEntryFormValue } from '../../../../shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.component';
 import { GuestbookEntryDocumentStore } from './../../../../shared/modules/guestbook/store/guestbook.entry.document.store';
+import { IsModifiedFunction } from '@dereekb/rxjs';
+import { map, of, switchMap } from 'rxjs';
 
 export interface DemoGuestbookEntryPopupComponentConfig {
   guestbookEntryDocumentStore: GuestbookEntryDocumentStore;
@@ -13,8 +15,8 @@ export interface DemoGuestbookEntryPopupComponentConfig {
   template: `
   <dbx-dialog-content>
     <p class="dbx-note">Enter your message for the guest book.</p>
-    <div dbxAction [dbxActionHandler]="handleUpdateEntry">
-      <demo-guestbook-entry-form dbxActionForm></demo-guestbook-entry-form>
+    <div dbxAction dbxActionLogger dbxActionEnforceModified [dbxActionHandler]="handleUpdateEntry">
+      <demo-guestbook-entry-form dbxActionForm [dbxFormSource]="data$" [dbxActionFormModified]="isFormModified"></demo-guestbook-entry-form>
       <p></p>
       <dbx-button [raised]="true" [text]="(exists$ | async) ? 'Update Entry' : 'Create Entry'" dbxActionButton></dbx-button>
     </div>
@@ -27,6 +29,10 @@ export class DemoGuestbookEntryPopupComponent extends AbstractDialogDirective<an
     return this.data.guestbookEntryDocumentStore;
   }
 
+  get data$() {
+    return this.guestbookEntryDocumentStore.data$;
+  }
+
   get exists$() {
     return this.guestbookEntryDocumentStore.exists$;
   }
@@ -37,6 +43,22 @@ export class DemoGuestbookEntryPopupComponent extends AbstractDialogDirective<an
     });
   }
 
+  readonly isFormModified: IsModifiedFunction<DemoGuestbookEntryFormValue> = (value) => {
+    return this.exists$.pipe(
+      switchMap((exists) => {
+        if (exists) {
+          return this.data$.pipe(
+            map((current) => {
+              const isModified = Boolean(current.message !== value.message) || Boolean(current.signed !== value.signed) || Boolean(current.published !== value.published);
+              return isModified;
+            }));
+        } else {
+          return of(true);
+        }
+      })
+    );
+  }
+
   readonly handleUpdateEntry: HandleActionFunction = (value: DemoGuestbookEntryFormValue, context) => {
     context.startWorkingWithLoadingStateObservable(this.guestbookEntryDocumentStore.updateEntry(value));
   }
diff --git a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.component.ts b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.component.ts
index 2d7306948..7f86bac9e 100644
--- a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.component.ts
+++ b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.component.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { GuestbookEntry } from "@dereekb/demo-firebase";
 import { FormlyFieldConfig } from "@ngx-formly/core";
 import { guestbookEntryFields } from "./guestbook.entry.form";
 
-export interface DemoGuestbookEntryFormValue extends Pick<GuestbookEntry, 'message' | 'signed'> { }
+export interface DemoGuestbookEntryFormValue extends Pick<GuestbookEntry, 'message' | 'signed' | 'published'> { }
 
 @Component({
   template: `<dbx-formly></dbx-formly>`,
diff --git a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.ts b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.ts
index 63efc7417..74a854350 100644
--- a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.ts
+++ b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/demo/modules/shared/modules/guestbook/component/guestbook.entry.form.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import { textAreaField, textField } from "@dereekb/dbx-form";
+import { textAreaField, textField, toggleField } from "@dereekb/dbx-form";
 import { GUESTBOOK_ENTRY_MESSAGE_MAX_LENGTH, GUESTBOOK_ENTRY_SIGNED_MAX_LENGTH } from "@dereekb/demo-firebase";
 
 export function guestbookEntryFields() {
   return [
     guestbookEntryMessageField(),
-    guestbookEntrySignedField()
+    guestbookEntrySignedField(),
+    guestbookEntryPublishedField()
   ];
 }
 
@@ -15,3 +16,7 @@ export function guestbookEntryMessageField() {
 export function guestbookEntrySignedField() {
   return textField({ key: 'signed', label: 'Signed', maxLength: GUESTBOOK_ENTRY_SIGNED_MAX_LENGTH, required: true });
 }
+
+export function guestbookEntryPublishedField() {
+  return toggleField({ key: 'published', label: 'Published' });
+}
diff --git a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/doc/modules/action/container/form.component.ts b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/doc/modules/action/container/form.component.ts
index 7dfe7f47a..387874841 100644
--- a/apps/demo/src/app/modules/doc/modules/action/container/form.component.ts
+++ b/apps/demo/src/app/modules/doc/modules/action/container/form.component.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export class DocActionFormComponent {
   readonly isFormModified: IsModifiedFunction<DocActionFormExampleValue> = (value: DocActionFormExampleValue) => {
     return this.defaultValue$.pipe(
       map((defaultValue) => {
-        const isModified = Boolean(value.name === defaultValue.name) || !isSameMinute(value.date, defaultValue.date);
+        const isModified = Boolean(value.name !== defaultValue.name) || !isSameMinute(value.date, defaultValue.date);
         return isModified;
       }));
   }
diff --git a/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/action/directive/state/action.enforce.modified.directive.ts b/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/action/directive/state/action.enforce.modified.directive.ts
index 4310c4eaa..9b5fc7d51 100644
--- a/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/action/directive/state/action.enforce.modified.directive.ts
+++ b/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/action/directive/state/action.enforce.modified.directive.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Directive, Host, Input, OnInit, OnDestroy } from '@angular/core';
+import { Maybe } from '@dereekb/util';
 import { BehaviorSubject, combineLatest, delay } from 'rxjs';
 import { AbstractSubscriptionDirective } from '../../../subscription';
 import { DbxActionContextStoreSourceInstance } from '../../action.store.source';
@@ -32,13 +33,13 @@ export class DbxActionEnforceModifiedDirective extends AbstractSubscriptionDirec
     this.source.enable(APP_ACTION_ENFORCE_MODIFIED_DIRECTIVE_KEY);
   }
 
-  @Input('[dbxActionEnforceModified]')
+  @Input('dbxActionEnforceModified')
   get enabled(): boolean {
     return this._enabled.value;
   }
 
-  set enabled(enabled: boolean) {
-    this._enabled.next(enabled ?? true);
+  set enabled(enabled: Maybe<string | boolean>) {
+    this._enabled.next(Boolean(enabled) ?? true);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/pipe/date/tojsdate.pipe.ts b/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/pipe/date/tojsdate.pipe.ts
index 1e750fa9b..758fbb2b5 100644
--- a/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/pipe/date/tojsdate.pipe.ts
+++ b/packages/dbx-core/src/lib/pipe/date/tojsdate.pipe.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { isValid } from 'date-fns';
 import { Pipe, PipeTransform } from '@angular/core';
 import { toJsDate } from '@dereekb/date';
 import { DateOrDateString, Maybe } from '@dereekb/util';
@@ -6,7 +7,17 @@ import { DateOrDateString, Maybe } from '@dereekb/util';
 export class ToJsDatePipe implements PipeTransform {
 
   public static toJsDate(input: Maybe<DateOrDateString>): Maybe<Date> {
-    return (input) ? toJsDate(input) : undefined;
+    let date: Maybe<Date>;
+    
+    if (input != null) {
+      date = toJsDate(input);
+
+      if (!isValid(date)) {
+        date = undefined;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return date;
   }
 
   transform(input: Maybe<DateOrDateString>): Maybe<Date> {
diff --git a/packages/dbx-firebase/src/lib/model/store/store.document.ts b/packages/dbx-firebase/src/lib/model/store/store.document.ts
index f9a92eed7..9a80a2bcd 100644
--- a/packages/dbx-firebase/src/lib/model/store/store.document.ts
+++ b/packages/dbx-firebase/src/lib/model/store/store.document.ts
@@ -175,6 +175,11 @@ export class AbstractDbxFirebaseDocumentStore<T, D extends FirestoreDocument<T>
     shareReplay(1)
   );
 
+  readonly doesNotExist$: Observable<boolean> = this.exists$.pipe(
+    map(x => !x),
+    shareReplay(1)
+  );
+
   // MARK: State Changes
   /**
    * Sets the id of the document to load.
diff --git a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/accessor.ts b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/accessor.ts
index daac05897..63f90432f 100644
--- a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/accessor.ts
+++ b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/accessor.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ export interface FirestoreDocumentDataAccessor<T> extends DocumentReferenceRef<T
   set(data: PartialWithFieldValue<T>, options: SetOptions): Promise<WriteResult | void>;
   set(data: WithFieldValue<T>): Promise<WriteResult | void>;
   /**
-   * Updates the data in the database. If the document doesn't exist, it will fail.
+   * Directly updates the data in the database. If the document doesn't exist, it will fail.
+   * 
+   * NOTE: Update will skip any conversions and directly set the data.
+   * If you rely on the converter/conversion functionality, use set() with merge: true instead of update.
    * 
    * @param data 
    */
@@ -91,17 +94,18 @@ export function mapDataFromSnapshot<T>(options?: SnapshotOptions): OperatorFunct
  * First checks that the data exists before writing to the datastore.
  * 
  * If it does not exist, will call set without merge options in order to fully initialize the object's data.
- * If it does exist, update is done on all defined values.
+ * If it does exist, update is done using set + merge on all defined values.
  * 
  * @param data 
  */
-export type CreateOrUpdateWithAccessorFunction<T> = (data: Partial<T>) => Promise<WriteResult | void>;
+export type CreateOrUpdateWithAccessorSetFunction<T> = (data: Partial<T>) => Promise<WriteResult | void>;
 
-export function createOrUpdateWithAccessor<T>(accessor: FirestoreDocumentDataAccessor<T>): (data: Partial<T>) => Promise<WriteResult | void> {
+export function createOrUpdateWithAccessorSet<T>(accessor: FirestoreDocumentDataAccessor<T>): (data: Partial<T>) => Promise<WriteResult | void> {
   return (data: Partial<T>) => {
     return accessor.exists().then((exists) => {
       if (exists) {
-        return accessor.update(filterUndefinedValues(data) as UpdateData<T>);
+        const update = filterUndefinedValues(data);
+        return accessor.set(update, { merge: true });
       } else {
         return accessor.set(data as WithFieldValue<T>);
       }
diff --git a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/document.ts b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/document.ts
index 18f0ca7d0..2868c89a5 100644
--- a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/document.ts
+++ b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/accessor/document.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { FirestoreAccessorDriverRef } from '../driver/accessor';
 import { DocumentReference, CollectionReference, Transaction, WriteBatch, DocumentSnapshot, SnapshotOptions, WriteResult } from '../types';
-import { createOrUpdateWithAccessor, dataFromSnapshotStream, FirestoreDocumentDataAccessor } from './accessor';
+import { createOrUpdateWithAccessorSet, dataFromSnapshotStream, FirestoreDocumentDataAccessor } from './accessor';
 import { CollectionReferenceRef, DocumentReferenceRef } from '../reference';
 import { FirestoreDocumentContext } from './context';
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractFirestoreDocument<T,
   }
 
   createOrUpdate(data: Partial<T>): Promise<WriteResult | void> {
-    return createOrUpdateWithAccessor(this.accessor)(data);
+    return createOrUpdateWithAccessorSet(this.accessor)(data);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/snapshot/snapshot.field.spec.ts b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/snapshot/snapshot.field.spec.ts
index a32330748..b788951b5 100644
--- a/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/snapshot/snapshot.field.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/firebase/src/lib/common/firestore/snapshot/snapshot.field.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { ISO8601DateString, makeModelFieldMapFunctions } from '@dereekb/util';
+import { isValid } from 'date-fns';
 import { firestoreDate, firestoreField } from './snapshot.field';
 
 describe('firestoreField()', () => {
@@ -68,9 +69,10 @@ describe('firestoreDate()', () => {
     const converted = dateField.from!.convert!(dateString);
     expect(converted).toBeDefined();
     expect(converted?.getTime()).toBe(value.getTime());
+    expect(isValid(converted)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('should convert data from a date string to a .', () => {
+  it('should convert data from a date to a date string.', () => {
     const dateString = '2021-08-16T05:00:00.000Z';
     const value = new Date(dateString);
 
diff --git a/packages/firebase/src/test/common/test.driver.accessor.ts b/packages/firebase/src/test/common/test.driver.accessor.ts
index f26925ef6..3041acf08 100644
--- a/packages/firebase/src/test/common/test.driver.accessor.ts
+++ b/packages/firebase/src/test/common/test.driver.accessor.ts
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ export function describeAccessorTests<T>(init: () => DescribeAccessorTests<T>) {
       }
     });
 
+    // todo: test that update does not call the converter when setting values.
+
   });
 
   describe('set()', () => {
@@ -363,6 +365,8 @@ export function describeAccessorTests<T>(init: () => DescribeAccessorTests<T>) {
       expect(c.hasDataFromUpdate(snapshot.data())).toBe(true);
     });
 
+    // todo: test that set calls the converter when setting values.
+
   });
 
   describe('delete()', () => {