diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 6e9f51e..906c7df 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package vultr
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
@@ -12,15 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/vultr/govultr/v3"
 )
 
-// vultrDuplicateErr is matched against Vultr API response text.
-// May need updating if Vultr changes their error message wording.
-const vultrDuplicateErr = "Duplicate records"
-
 type Client struct {
 	vultr *govultr.Client
-	// mutex serializes write operations (add/remove/update).
-	// getDNSEntries does NOT acquire this lock because it is called
-	// from within write methods that already hold it.
 	mutex sync.Mutex
 }
 
@@ -72,39 +64,7 @@ func (p *Provider) addDNSRecord(ctx context.Context, domain string, r libdns.Rec
 
 	rec, _, err := p.client.vultr.DomainRecord.Create(ctx, domain, &domainRecordReq)
 	if err != nil {
-		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), vultrDuplicateErr) {
-			return r, err
-		}
-
-		// Duplicate record exists — find it and update with the new data.
-		// This handles stale ACME challenge TXT records left from previous runs.
-		records, lookupErr := p.getDNSEntries(ctx, domain)
-		if lookupErr != nil {
-			return r, fmt.Errorf("duplicate record and could not look up existing: %w", lookupErr)
-		}
-
-		rr := r.RR()
-		var existingID string
-		for _, existing := range records {
-			exRR := existing.RR()
-			if exRR.Name == rr.Name && exRR.Type == rr.Type {
-				if vr, ok := existing.(VultrRecord); ok {
-					existingID = vr.ID
-					break
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		if existingID == "" {
-			return r, fmt.Errorf("duplicate record reported but not found in zone: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		updateErr := p.client.vultr.DomainRecord.Update(ctx, domain, existingID, &domainRecordReq)
-		if updateErr != nil {
-			return r, fmt.Errorf("failed to update duplicate record %s: %w", existingID, updateErr)
-		}
-
-		return fromLibdnsRecord(r, existingID), nil
+		return r, err
 	}
 
 	record := fromLibdnsRecord(r, rec.ID)
@@ -121,40 +81,16 @@ func (p *Provider) removeDNSRecord(ctx context.Context, domain string, record li
 	recordId, err := getRecordId(record)
 	if err != nil {
 		// try to get the ID from API if we don't have it
-		records, lookupErr := p.getDNSEntries(ctx, domain)
-		if lookupErr != nil {
-			return record, fmt.Errorf("could not get record ID from API: %w", lookupErr)
+		records, err := p.getDNSEntries(ctx, domain)
+		if err != nil {
+			return record, fmt.Errorf("could not get record ID from API")
 		}
 
-		rr := record.RR()
 		for _, rec := range records {
-			recRR := rec.RR()
-			// Match by name, type, AND data to avoid deleting the wrong record
-			// when multiple records share the same name (e.g. _acme-challenge TXT).
-			if recRR.Name == rr.Name && recRR.Type == rr.Type && recRR.Data == rr.Data {
-				if vr, ok := rec.(VultrRecord); ok {
-					recordId = vr.ID
-					break
-				}
+			if rec.RR().Name == record.RR().Name {
+				recordId = rec.(VultrRecord).ID
 			}
 		}
-
-		// Fall back to name+type match if exact data match wasn't found
-		if recordId == "" {
-			for _, rec := range records {
-				recRR := rec.RR()
-				if recRR.Name == rr.Name && recRR.Type == rr.Type {
-					if vr, ok := rec.(VultrRecord); ok {
-						recordId = vr.ID
-						break
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		if recordId == "" {
-			return record, fmt.Errorf("no matching record found for %s %s in zone %s", rr.Type, rr.Name, domain)
-		}
 	}
 
 	err = p.client.vultr.DomainRecord.Delete(ctx, domain, recordId)
@@ -174,39 +110,16 @@ func (p *Provider) updateDNSRecord(ctx context.Context, domain string, record li
 	recordId, err := getRecordId(record)
 	if err != nil {
 		// try to get the ID from API if we don't have it
-		records, lookupErr := p.getDNSEntries(ctx, domain)
-		if lookupErr != nil {
-			return record, fmt.Errorf("could not get record ID from API: %w", lookupErr)
+		records, err := p.getDNSEntries(ctx, domain)
+		if err != nil {
+			return record, fmt.Errorf("could not get record ID from API")
 		}
 
-		rr := record.RR()
 		for _, rec := range records {
-			recRR := rec.RR()
-			// Match by name+type+data first for precision
-			if recRR.Name == rr.Name && recRR.Type == rr.Type && recRR.Data == rr.Data {
-				if vr, ok := rec.(VultrRecord); ok {
-					recordId = vr.ID
-					break
-				}
+			if rec.RR().Data == record.RR().Data {
+				recordId = rec.(VultrRecord).ID
 			}
 		}
-
-		// Fall back to name+type if exact data match not found
-		if recordId == "" {
-			for _, rec := range records {
-				recRR := rec.RR()
-				if recRR.Name == rr.Name && recRR.Type == rr.Type {
-					if vr, ok := rec.(VultrRecord); ok {
-						recordId = vr.ID
-						break
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		if recordId == "" {
-			return record, fmt.Errorf("no matching record found for %s %s in zone %s", rr.Type, rr.Name, domain)
-		}
 	}
 
 	domainRecordReq := toDomainRecordReq(record)