diff --git a/osf_tests/test_institutional_admin_contributors.py b/osf_tests/test_institutional_admin_contributors.py
index ccb9d79cb1a..02fe21ece5f 100644
--- a/osf_tests/test_institutional_admin_contributors.py
+++ b/osf_tests/test_institutional_admin_contributors.py
@@ -28,15 +28,48 @@ def institutional_admin(self, institution):
         institution.get_group('institutional_admins').user_set.add(admin_user)
         return admin_user
 
-    def test_contributor_with_visible_and_institutional_admin_raises_error(self, institutional_admin, project, institution):
-        contributor = Contributor(
+    @pytest.fixture()
+    def curator(self, institutional_admin, project):
+        return Contributor(
             user=institutional_admin,
             node=project,
             visible=False,
+            is_curator=True
         )
-        contributor.save()
-
-        contributor.visible = True
 
+    def test_contributor_with_visible_and_institutional_admin_raises_error(self, curator, project, institution):
+        curator.save()
+        curator.visible = True
         with pytest.raises(IntegrityError, match='Curators cannot be made bibliographic contributors'):
-            contributor.save()
+            curator.save()
+
+        assert curator.visible
+        curator.refresh_from_db()
+        assert not curator.visible
+
+        # save completes when valid
+        curator.visible = False
+        curator.save()
+
+    def test_regular_visible_contributor_is_saved(self, user, project):
+        contributor = Contributor(
+            user=user,
+            node=project,
+            visible=True,
+            is_curator=False
+        )
+        contributor.save()
+        saved_contributor = Contributor.objects.get(pk=contributor.pk)
+        assert saved_contributor.user == user
+        assert saved_contributor.node == project
+        assert saved_contributor.visible is True
+        assert saved_contributor.is_curator is False
+
+    def test_invisible_curator_is_saved(self, institutional_admin, curator, project):
+        curator.save()
+        saved_curator = Contributor.objects.get(pk=curator.pk)
+        assert curator == saved_curator
+        assert saved_curator.user == institutional_admin
+        assert saved_curator.node == project
+        assert saved_curator.visible is False
+        assert saved_curator.is_curator is True