diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/TaskDao.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/TaskDao.kt
index acdb6534f..67a1e43cd 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/TaskDao.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/dao/TaskDao.kt
@@ -106,8 +106,9 @@ class TaskDao @Inject constructor(
         }
 
     suspend fun save(task: Task, original: Task?) {
-        val updated = taskDao.update(task, original)
-        afterUpdate(updated, original)
+        if (taskDao.update(task, original)) {
+            afterUpdate(task, original)
+        }
     }
 
     private suspend fun afterUpdate(task: Task, original: Task?) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.kt
index 0f683d69b..a195984e7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.kt
@@ -187,25 +187,31 @@ data class Task(
     val isNew: Boolean
         get() = id == NO_ID
 
-    fun significantChange(task: Task): Boolean =
-        id != task.id
-                || title != task.title
-                || priority != task.priority
-                || dueDate != task.dueDate
-                || hideUntil != task.hideUntil
-                || creationDate != task.creationDate
-                || modificationDate != task.modificationDate
-                || completionDate != task.completionDate
-                || deletionDate != task.deletionDate
-                || notes != task.notes
-                || estimatedSeconds != task.estimatedSeconds
-                || elapsedSeconds != task.elapsedSeconds
-                || ringFlags != task.ringFlags
-                || recurrence != task.recurrence
-                || calendarURI != task.calendarURI
-                || parent != task.parent
-                || remoteId != task.remoteId
-                || order != task.order
+    fun insignificantChange(task: Task?): Boolean {
+        if (this === task) {
+            return true
+        }
+        return if (task == null) {
+            false
+        } else id == task.id
+                && title == task.title
+                && priority == task.priority
+                && dueDate == task.dueDate
+                && hideUntil == task.hideUntil
+                && creationDate == task.creationDate
+                && modificationDate == task.modificationDate
+                && completionDate == task.completionDate
+                && deletionDate == task.deletionDate
+                && notes == task.notes
+                && estimatedSeconds == task.estimatedSeconds
+                && elapsedSeconds == task.elapsedSeconds
+                && ringFlags == task.ringFlags
+                && recurrence == task.recurrence
+                && calendarURI == task.calendarURI
+                && parent == task.parent
+                && remoteId == task.remoteId
+                && order == task.order
+    }
 
     fun googleTaskUpToDate(original: Task?): Boolean {
         if (this === original) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendar.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendar.kt
index 946876c97..cfde1c3f4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendar.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendar.kt
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class iCalendar @Inject constructor(
                     `object` = obj
                 )
         val isNew = caldavTask.id == com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.NO_ID
-        val dirty = !isNew && task.modificationDate > caldavTask.lastSync
+        val dirty = task.modificationDate > caldavTask.lastSync || caldavTask.lastSync == 0L
         val local = vtodoCache.getVtodo(calendar, caldavTask)?.let { fromVtodo(it) }
         task.applyRemote(remote, local)
         caldavTask.applyRemote(remote, local)
@@ -263,11 +263,7 @@ class iCalendar @Inject constructor(
 
         task.suppressSync()
         task.suppressRefresh()
-        if (isNew) {
-            taskDao.save(task, null)
-        } else {
-            taskDao.save(task)
-        }
+        taskDao.save(task)
         vtodoCache.putVtodo(calendar, caldavTask, vtodo)
         caldavTask.etag = eTag
         if (!dirty) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendarMerge.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendarMerge.kt
index 3b9ac2a52..b59498d86 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendarMerge.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/caldav/iCalendarMerge.kt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package org.tasks.caldav
 
 import at.bitfire.ical4android.Task
 import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DateUtilities
-import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DateUtilities.now
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.Priority.Companion.HIGH
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.Priority.Companion.LOW
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.Priority.Companion.MEDIUM
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ fun com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.applyRemote(
 ): com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task {
     applyCompletedAt(remote, local)
     applyCreatedAt(remote, local)
-    applyModified(remote, local)
     applyTitle(remote, local)
     applyDescription(remote, local)
     applyPriority(remote, local)
@@ -63,16 +61,7 @@ private fun com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.applyCreatedAt(remote: Task, local: Tas
     val localCreated = local?.createdAt?.let { newDateTime(it, UTC) }?.toLocal()?.millis
     if (localCreated == null || localCreated == creationDate) {
         remote.createdAt?.let {
-            creationDate = newDateTime(it, UTC).toLocal().millis.coerceAtMost(now())
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-private fun com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task.applyModified(remote: Task, local: Task?) {
-    val localModified = local?.lastModified?.let { newDateTime(it, UTC) }?.toLocal()?.millis
-    if (localModified == null || localModified == modificationDate) {
-        remote.lastModified?.let {
-            modificationDate = newDateTime(it, UTC).toLocal().millis.coerceAtMost(now())
+            creationDate = newDateTime(it, UTC).toLocal().millis
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/data/TaskDao.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/data/TaskDao.kt
index 08961aa2e..10e950e07 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/data/TaskDao.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/data/TaskDao.kt
@@ -188,19 +188,15 @@ FROM recursive_tasks
     @Insert
     abstract suspend fun insert(task: Task): Long
 
-    suspend fun update(task: Task, original: Task?): Task =
-        task
-            .copy(
-                modificationDate = when {
-                    original?.let { task.significantChange(it) } == true -> now()
-                    task.modificationDate == 0L -> task.creationDate
-                    else -> task.modificationDate
-                }
-            )
-            .also { updateInternal(it) }
+    suspend fun update(task: Task, original: Task? = null): Boolean {
+        if (!task.insignificantChange(original)) {
+            task.modificationDate = now()
+        }
+        return updateInternal(task) == 1
+    }
 
     @Update
-    internal abstract suspend fun updateInternal(task: Task)
+    internal abstract suspend fun updateInternal(task: Task): Int
 
     suspend fun createNew(task: Task): Long {
         task.id = NO_ID