diff --git a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/relations-orderer.test.js b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/relations-orderer.test.js
index 45c1d65ef8..ee67bcd08e 100644
--- a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/relations-orderer.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/relations-orderer.test.js
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ describe('Given I have some relations in the database', () => {
       );
 
       orderer.connect([
-        { id: 4, position: { before: 2 } },
         { id: 4, position: { before: 3 } },
         { id: 5, position: { before: 4 } },
       ]);
diff --git a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/sort-connect-array.test.js b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/sort-connect-array.test.js
index 6e81ba8268..5de024d9c6 100644
--- a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/sort-connect-array.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/__tests__/sort-connect-array.test.js
@@ -61,4 +61,19 @@ describe('sortConnectArray', () => {
       'A circular reference was found in the connect array. One relation is trying to connect before/after another one that is trying to connect before/after it'
     );
   });
+
+  test('error when connecting same relation twice', () => {
+    const sortConnect = () =>
+      sortConnectArray(
+        [
+          { id: 1, position: { after: 2 } },
+          { id: 1, position: { after: 3 } },
+        ],
+        []
+      );
+
+    expect(sortConnect).toThrowError(
+      'The relation with id 1 is already connected. You cannot connect the same relation twice.'
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/relations-orderer.js b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/relations-orderer.js
index 2d487848ae..508d235305 100644
--- a/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/relations-orderer.js
+++ b/packages/core/database/lib/entity-manager/relations-orderer.js
@@ -25,42 +25,36 @@ const sortConnectArray = (connectArr, initialArr = [], strictSort = true) => {
   // Boolean to know if we have to recalculate the order of the relations
   let needsSorting = false;
   // Map to validate if relation is already in sortedConnect or DB.
-  const relationInArray = initialArr.reduce((acc, rel) => ({ ...acc, [rel.id]: true }), {});
+  const relationInInitialArray = initialArr.reduce((acc, rel) => ({ ...acc, [rel.id]: true }), {});
   // Map to store the first index where a relation id is connected
-  const mappedRelationsIndex = connectArr.reduce((mapper, relation, index) => {
+  const mappedRelations = connectArr.reduce((mapper, relation) => {
     const adjacentRelId = relation.position?.before || relation.position?.after;
 
-    if (!relationInArray[adjacentRelId] && !mapper[adjacentRelId]) {
+    if (!relationInInitialArray[adjacentRelId] && !mapper[adjacentRelId]) {
       needsSorting = true;
     }
 
+    // If the relation is already in the array, throw an error
+    if (mapper[relation.id]) {
+      throw new InvalidRelationError(
+        `The relation with id ${relation.id} is already connected. ` +
+          'You cannot connect the same relation twice.'
+      );
+    }
+
     return {
-      [relation.id]: mapper[relation.id] || index, // If the relation is already in the array, we keep the first index
+      [relation.id]: { ...relation, computed: false },
       ...mapper,
     };
   }, {});
-  // Map to validate if connect relation has already been computed
-  const computedIdx = {};
 
   // If we don't need to sort the connect array, we can return it as is
   if (!needsSorting) return connectArr;
 
-  // Add relation to sortedConnect and mark it as seen
-  const pushRelation = (relation) => {
-    sortedConnect.push(relation);
-    relationInArray[relation.id] = true;
-  };
-
   // Recursively compute in which order the relation should be connected
-  const computeRelation = (relation, idx, relationsSeenInBranch) => {
+  const computeRelation = (relation, relationsSeenInBranch) => {
     const adjacentRelId = relation.position?.before || relation.position?.after;
-
-    // This connect has already been computed
-    if (idx in computedIdx) return;
-
-    if (!adjacentRelId || relationInArray[adjacentRelId]) {
-      return pushRelation(relation);
-    }
+    const adjacentRelation = mappedRelations[adjacentRelId];
 
     // If the relation has already been seen in the current branch,
     // it means there is a circular reference
@@ -71,20 +65,24 @@ const sortConnectArray = (connectArr, initialArr = [], strictSort = true) => {
       );
     }
 
+    // This relation has already been computed
+    if (mappedRelations[relation.id]?.computed) return;
+
+    // Relation does not have a before or after attribute or is in the initial array
+    if (!adjacentRelId || relationInInitialArray[adjacentRelId]) {
+      mappedRelations[relation.id].computed = true;
+      sortedConnect.push(relation);
+      return;
+    }
+
     // Look if id is referenced elsewhere in the array
-    const adjacentRelIdx = mappedRelationsIndex[adjacentRelId];
-
-    if (adjacentRelIdx) {
-      const adjacentRel = connectArr[adjacentRelIdx];
-
-      // Mark adjacent relation idx as computed,
-      // so it is not computed again later in the loop
-      computedIdx[adjacentRelIdx] = true;
-      computeRelation(adjacentRel, idx, { ...relationsSeenInBranch, [relation.id]: true });
-      pushRelation(relation);
+    if (mappedRelations[adjacentRelId]) {
+      mappedRelations[relation.id].computed = true;
+      computeRelation(adjacentRelation, { ...relationsSeenInBranch, [relation.id]: true });
+      sortedConnect.push(relation);
     } else if (strictSort) {
       // If we reach this point, it means that the adjacent relation is not in the connect array
-      // and it is not in the database. This should not happen.
+      // and it is not in the database.
       throw new InvalidRelationError(
         `There was a problem connecting relation with id ${
           relation.id
@@ -94,14 +92,13 @@ const sortConnectArray = (connectArr, initialArr = [], strictSort = true) => {
       );
     } else {
       // We are in non-strict mode so we can push the relation.
-      pushRelation({ id: relation.id, position: { end: true } });
+      mappedRelations[relation.id].computed = true;
+      sortedConnect.push({ id: relation.id, position: { end: true } });
     }
   };
 
   // Iterate over connectArr and populate sortedConnect
-  connectArr.forEach((relation, idx) => {
-    computeRelation(relation, idx, {});
-  });
+  connectArr.forEach((relation) => computeRelation(relation, {}));
 
   return sortedConnect;
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/tests/api/relations.test.api.js b/packages/core/strapi/tests/api/relations.test.api.js
index 26ea2668e9..462dd1e904 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/tests/api/relations.test.api.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/tests/api/relations.test.api.js
@@ -804,7 +804,6 @@ describe('Relations', () => {
           { id: id1, position: { start: true } },
           { id: id2, position: { start: true } },
           { id: id3, position: { after: id1 } },
-          { id: id1, position: { after: id2 } },
         ],
       });
 
@@ -852,10 +851,7 @@ describe('Relations', () => {
         ],
       });
 
-      const expectedShop = shopFactory({
-        anyToManyRel: [{ id: id2 }, { id: id1 }],
-      });
-      expect(updatedShop.data).toMatchObject(expectedShop);
+      expect(updatedShop.error).toMatchObject({ status: 400, name: 'ValidationError' });
     });
 
     test('Update relations with invalid connect array in strict mode', async () => {