diff --git a/js/id/graph/graph.js b/js/id/graph/graph.js
index d9118045a..eae11cc15 100644
--- a/js/id/graph/graph.js
+++ b/js/id/graph/graph.js
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ iD.Graph.prototype = {
     },
 
     replace: function(entity) {
+        if (this.entities[entity.id] === entity)
+            return this;
+
         return this.update(function () {
             this._updateCalculated(this.entities[entity.id], entity);
             this.entities[entity.id] = entity;
diff --git a/test/spec/graph/graph.js b/test/spec/graph/graph.js
index a357ff360..a099d8b61 100644
--- a/test/spec/graph/graph.js
+++ b/test/spec/graph/graph.js
@@ -196,10 +196,16 @@ describe('iD.Graph', function() {
     });
 
     describe("#replace", function () {
+        it("is a no-op if the replacement is identical to the existing entity", function () {
+            var node = iD.Node(),
+                graph = iD.Graph([node]);
+            expect(graph.replace(node)).to.equal(graph);
+        });
+
         it("returns a new graph", function () {
             var node = iD.Node(),
                 graph = iD.Graph([node]);
-            expect(graph.replace(node)).not.to.equal(graph);
+            expect(graph.replace(node.update())).not.to.equal(graph);
         });
 
         it("doesn't modify the receiver", function () {
@@ -257,7 +263,6 @@ describe('iD.Graph', function() {
             graph = iD.Graph([node, r1]);
             expect(graph.replace(r1).parentRelations(node)).to.eql([r1]);
         });
-
     });
 
     describe("#update", function () {