diff --git a/src/packages/emmett-postgresql/src/eventStore/schema/appendToStream.ts b/src/packages/emmett-postgresql/src/eventStore/schema/appendToStream.ts
index 1d5670d2..d55d0418 100644
--- a/src/packages/emmett-postgresql/src/eventStore/schema/appendToStream.ts
+++ b/src/packages/emmett-postgresql/src/eventStore/schema/appendToStream.ts
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ export const appendToStreamSQL = rawSql(
       v_transaction_id := pg_current_xact_id();
 
       IF v_expected_stream_position IS NULL THEN
-          SELECT COALESCE(max(stream_position), 0) INTO v_expected_stream_position
+          SELECT COALESCE(stream_position, 0) INTO v_expected_stream_position
           FROM ${streamsTable.name}
-          WHERE stream_id = v_stream_id AND partition = v_partition;
+          WHERE stream_id = v_stream_id AND partition = v_partition AND is_archived = FALSE;
       END IF;
 
       v_next_stream_position := v_expected_stream_position + array_upper(v_messages_data, 1);