diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c99c610..6384b1f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
     <groupId>net.helenus</groupId>
     <artifactId>helenus-core</artifactId>
-    <version>2.0.43-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>2.0.44-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <name>helenus</name>
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractEntityDraft.java b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractEntityDraft.java
index 54a3edf..18d9f7c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractEntityDraft.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractEntityDraft.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractEntityDraft<E> implements Drafted<E> {
         if (key != null && desiredValue != null) {
             @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
             T currentValue = (T) backingMap.get(key);
-            if (currentValue != null && !currentValue.equals(desiredValue)) {
+            if (currentValue == null || !currentValue.equals(desiredValue)) {
                 return set(key, desiredValue) != null;
             }
         }