diff --git a/app/models/CocoModel.coffee b/app/models/CocoModel.coffee
index 1472d6b04..feb574353 100644
--- a/app/models/CocoModel.coffee
+++ b/app/models/CocoModel.coffee
@@ -104,10 +104,14 @@ class CocoModel extends Backbone.Model
     options.patch = true
     
     attrs = {_id: @id}
+    anythingChanged = false
     for key in _.keys @attributes
       unless _.isEqual @attributes[key], @_revertAttributes[key]
         attrs[key] = @attributes[key]
-      
+        anythingChanged = true
+    
+    return unless anythingChanged
+    console.debug 'Patching', @, attrs
     @save(attrs, options)
 
   fetch: ->
diff --git a/app/views/contribute/contribute_class_view.coffee b/app/views/contribute/contribute_class_view.coffee
index d9110c3fd..ae6fd59af 100644
--- a/app/views/contribute/contribute_class_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/contribute/contribute_class_view.coffee
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ module.exports = class ContributeClassView extends View
     subscription = el.attr('name')
     
     me.setEmailSubscription subscription+'News', checked
-    me.save()
+    me.patch()
     @openModalView new SignupModalView() if me.get 'anonymous'
     el.parent().find('.saved-notification').finish().show('fast').delay(3000).fadeOut(2000)
 
diff --git a/app/views/kinds/RootView.coffee b/app/views/kinds/RootView.coffee
index fd036784b..5cd547c8a 100644
--- a/app/views/kinds/RootView.coffee
+++ b/app/views/kinds/RootView.coffee
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ module.exports = class RootView extends CocoView
 
   saveLanguage: (newLang) ->
     me.set('preferredLanguage', newLang)
-    res = me.save()
+    res = me.patch()
     return unless res
     res.error ->
       errors = JSON.parse(res.responseText)
diff --git a/app/views/modal/diplomat_suggestion_modal.coffee b/app/views/modal/diplomat_suggestion_modal.coffee
index 511fe369a..bd735f995 100644
--- a/app/views/modal/diplomat_suggestion_modal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/modal/diplomat_suggestion_modal.coffee
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module.exports = class DiplomatSuggestionView extends View
 
   subscribeAsDiplomat: ->
     me.setEmailSubscription 'diplomatNews', true
-    me.save()
+    me.patch()
     $("#email_translator").prop("checked", 1)
     @hide()
     return
diff --git a/app/views/modal/wizard_settings_modal.coffee b/app/views/modal/wizard_settings_modal.coffee
index 5715a4c1f..c099a4fba 100644
--- a/app/views/modal/wizard_settings_modal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/modal/wizard_settings_modal.coffee
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ module.exports = class WizardSettingsModal extends View
       forms.applyErrorsToForm(@$el, res)
       return
 
-    res = me.save()
+    res = me.patch()
     return unless res
     save = $('#save-button', @$el).text($.i18n.t('common.saving', defaultValue: 'Saving...'))
       .addClass('btn-info').show().removeClass('btn-danger')
diff --git a/test/app/models/CocoModel.spec.coffee b/test/app/models/CocoModel.spec.coffee
index 275ffa65e..f7703b851 100644
--- a/test/app/models/CocoModel.spec.coffee
+++ b/test/app/models/CocoModel.spec.coffee
@@ -74,4 +74,11 @@ describe 'CocoModel', ->
       request = jasmine.Ajax.requests.mostRecent()
       params = JSON.parse request.params
       expect(params.object).toBeUndefined()
-      
\ No newline at end of file
+      
+    it 'does nothing when there\'s nothing to patch', ->
+      b = new BlandClass({_id: 'test', number:1})
+      b.loaded = true
+      b.set('number', 1)
+      b.patch()
+      request = jasmine.Ajax.requests.mostRecent()
+      expect(request).toBeUndefined()