diff --git a/contao/dca/tl_news_category.php b/contao/dca/tl_news_category.php
index 635fe34..3bbfd05 100644
--- a/contao/dca/tl_news_category.php
+++ b/contao/dca/tl_news_category.php
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@
             'inputType' => 'text',
             'eval' => [
                 'rgxp' => 'alias',
-                'unique' => true,
-                'spaceToUnderscore' => true,
+                'doNotCopy'=>true,
+                'alwaysSave' => true,
                 'maxlength' => 128,
                 'tl_class' => 'w50',
             ],
diff --git a/src/EventListener/DataContainer/NewsCategoryAliasListener.php b/src/EventListener/DataContainer/NewsCategoryAliasListener.php
index 7130dda..2c2d3e3 100644
--- a/src/EventListener/DataContainer/NewsCategoryAliasListener.php
+++ b/src/EventListener/DataContainer/NewsCategoryAliasListener.php
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ public function validateAlias(string $value, DataContainer $dc): string
     #[AsCallback('tl_news_category', 'config.onbeforesubmit')]
     public function generateAlias(array $values, DataContainer $dc): array
     {
-        if (!isset($values['alias']) || '' !== $values['alias']) {
-            return $values;
-        }
-
         $currentRecord = $dc->getCurrentRecord();
         $title = $values['frontendTitle'] ?? $currentRecord['frontendTitle'] ?: ($values['title'] ?? $currentRecord['title']);
 
+        if ('' !== ($values['alias'] ?? $currentRecord['alias'] ?? '')) {
+            return $values;
+        }
+
         $slugOptions = [];
 
         if (!empty($validChars = Config::get('news_categorySlugSetting'))) {
@@ -70,12 +70,16 @@ public function generateAlias(array $values, DataContainer $dc): array
 
     private function aliasExists(string $value, DataContainer $dc): bool
     {
-        $query = "SELECT id FROM {$dc->table} WHERE alias=? AND id!=?";
-        $params = [$value, $dc->id];
+        $query = "SELECT id FROM {$dc->table} WHERE alias=?";
+        $params = [$value];
 
-        if ($dc instanceof Driver) {
-            $query .= " AND {$dc->getLanguageColumn()}=?";
+        if ($dc instanceof Driver && '' !== $dc->getCurrentLanguage()) {
+            $query .= " AND pid!=? AND {$dc->getLanguageColumn()}=?";
+            $params[] = $dc->id;
             $params[] = $dc->getCurrentLanguage();
+        } else {
+            $query .= ' AND id!=?';
+            $params[] = $dc->id;
         }
 
         return false !== $this->db->fetchOne($query, $params);