diff --git a/beetsplug/edit.py b/beetsplug/edit.py
index 16f770b1c..b31f4c5f5 100644
--- a/beetsplug/edit.py
+++ b/beetsplug/edit.py
@@ -242,5 +242,6 @@ class EditPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
 
         # Save to the database and possibly write tags.
         for ob in objs:
-            self._log.debug('saving changes to {}', ob)
-            ob.try_sync(ui.should_write())
+            if ob._dirty:
+                self._log.debug('saving changes to {}', ob)
+                ob.try_sync(ui.should_write())
diff --git a/test/test_edit.py b/test/test_edit.py
index d3a38e7e5..c72eeee73 100644
--- a/test/test_edit.py
+++ b/test/test_edit.py
@@ -189,6 +189,19 @@ class EditCommandTest(unittest.TestCase, TestHelper):
         self.album.load()
         self.assertEqual(self.album.album, u'\u00e4lbum')
 
+    def test_single_edit_add_field(self):
+        """Edit the yaml file appending an extra field to the first item, then
+        apply changes."""
+        # append "foo: bar" to item with id == 1
+        self.run_mocked_command({'replacements': {u'id: 1':
+                                                  u'id: 1\nfoo: bar'}},
+                                # Apply changes? y
+                                ['y'])
+
+        self.assertEqual(self.lib.items('id:1')[0].foo, 'bar')
+        self.assertCounts(write_call_count=1,
+                          title_starts_with=u't\u00eftle')
+
     def test_a_album_edit_apply(self):
         """Album query (-a), edit album field, apply changes."""
         self.run_mocked_command({'replacements': {u'\u00e4lbum':
@@ -239,18 +252,6 @@ class EditCommandTest(unittest.TestCase, TestHelper):
         self.assertCounts(write_call_count=0,
                           title_starts_with=u't\u00eftle')
 
-    def test_invalid_yaml_extra_field(self):
-        """Edit the yaml file incorrectly (resulting in a well-formed but
-        invalid yaml document), appending an extra field to the first item."""
-        # append "foo: bar" to item with id == 1
-        self.run_mocked_command({'replacements': {u'id: 1':
-                                                  u'id: 1\nfoo: bar'}},
-                                # no stdin
-                                [])
-
-        self.assertCounts(write_call_count=0,
-                          title_starts_with=u't\u00eftle')
-
 
 def suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)