diff --git a/src/core/collection.h b/src/core/collection.h
--- a/src/core/collection.h
+++ b/src/core/collection.h
@@ -549,6 +549,8 @@
     friend class CollectionModifyJob;
     friend class ProtocolHelper;
 
+    void markAttributesChanged();
+
     //@cond PRIVATE
     QSharedDataPointer<CollectionPrivate> d_ptr;
     friend class CollectionPrivate;
@@ -566,6 +568,7 @@
     if (hasAttribute(dummy.type())) {
         T *attr = dynamic_cast<T *>(attribute(dummy.type()));
         if (attr) {
+            markAttributesChanged();
             return attr;
         }
         //Reuse 5250
diff --git a/src/core/collection.cpp b/src/core/collection.cpp
--- a/src/core/collection.cpp
+++ b/src/core/collection.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@
     }
     d_ptr->mAttributes.insert(attr->type(), attr);
     d_ptr->mDeletedAttributes.remove(attr->type());
+    d_ptr->attributesChanged = true;
 }
 
 void Collection::removeAttribute(const QByteArray &type)
@@ -460,3 +461,8 @@
 {
     return d_ptr->keepLocalChanges;
 }
+
+void Collection::markAttributesChanged()
+{
+    d_ptr->attributesChanged = true;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/collection_p.h b/src/core/collection_p.h
--- a/src/core/collection_p.h
+++ b/src/core/collection_p.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
         , referencedChanged(false)
         , contentTypesChanged(false)
         , cachePolicyChanged(false)
+        , attributesChanged(false)
         , isVirtual(false)
         , mId(id)
         , mParent(nullptr)
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@
         referenced = other.referenced;
         referencedChanged = other.referencedChanged;
         keepLocalChanges = other.keepLocalChanges;
+        attributesChanged = other.attributesChanged;
     }
 
     ~CollectionPrivate()
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@
         enabledChanged = false;
         listPreferenceChanged = false;
         referencedChanged = false;
+        attributesChanged = false;
         mDeletedAttributes.clear();
     }
 
@@ -121,6 +124,7 @@
     bool referencedChanged: 1;
     bool contentTypesChanged: 1;
     bool cachePolicyChanged: 1;
+    bool attributesChanged : 1;
     bool isVirtual: 1;
     // 2 bytes padding here
 
diff --git a/src/core/jobs/collectionmodifyjob.cpp b/src/core/jobs/collectionmodifyjob.cpp
--- a/src/core/jobs/collectionmodifyjob.cpp
+++ b/src/core/jobs/collectionmodifyjob.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
     if (d->mCollection.d_ptr->referencedChanged) {
         cmd->setReferenced(d->mCollection.referenced());
     }
-    if (!d->mCollection.attributes().isEmpty()) {
+    if (d->mCollection.d_ptr->attributesChanged) {
         cmd->setAttributes(ProtocolHelper::attributesToProtocol(d->mCollection));
     }
     if (auto attr = d->mCollection.attribute<Akonadi::PersistentSearchAttribute>()) {