diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
index a6841d449..68401b5e3 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
@@ -3179,7 +3179,7 @@ public class BeanDescriptor<T> implements BeanType<T>, STreeType {
       int propertyIndex = beanProperty.getPropertyIndex();
       if (!ebi.isDirtyProperty(propertyIndex) && ebi.isLoadedProperty(propertyIndex)) {
         Object value = beanProperty.getValue(ebi.getOwner());
-        if (value == null || beanProperty.isDirtyValue(value)) {
+        if (value != null && beanProperty.isDirtyValue(value)) {
           // mutable scalar value which is considered dirty so mark
           // it as such so that it is included in an update
           ebi.markPropertyAsChanged(propertyIndex);
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/test/java/org/tests/json/TestDbJson_Jackson3.java b/ebean-core/src/test/java/org/tests/json/TestDbJson_Jackson3.java
index 747f01426..106beb9f2 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/test/java/org/tests/json/TestDbJson_Jackson3.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/test/java/org/tests/json/TestDbJson_Jackson3.java
@@ -74,6 +74,6 @@ public class TestDbJson_Jackson3 extends BaseTestCase {
 
     final List<String> sql = LoggedSql.stop();
     assertThat(sql).hasSize(1);
-    assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("update ebasic_json_list set name=?, beans=?, bean_list=?, plain_bean=?, version=? where id=?");
+    assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("update ebasic_json_list set name=?, bean_list=?, plain_bean=?, version=? where id=?");
   }
 }