diff --git a/acme/api/account.go b/acme/api/account.go
index bb6c92d6..35f7f929 100644
--- a/acme/api/account.go
+++ b/acme/api/account.go
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ func (u *UpdateAccountRequest) Validate() error {
 		}
 		return nil
 	default:
-		return acme.MalformedErr(errors.Errorf("empty update request"))
+		// According to the ACME spec (https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8555#section-7.3.2)
+		// accountUpdate should ignore any fields not recognized by the server.
+		return nil
 	}
 }
 
@@ -148,6 +150,8 @@ func (h *Handler) GetUpdateAccount(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// If PostAsGet just respond with the account, otherwise process like a
+	// normal Post request.
 	if !payload.isPostAsGet {
 		var uar UpdateAccountRequest
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(payload.value, &uar); err != nil {
@@ -159,9 +163,12 @@ func (h *Handler) GetUpdateAccount(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 		var err error
+		// If neither the status nor the contacts are being updated then ignore
+		// the updates and return 200. This conforms with the behavior detailed
+		// in the ACME spec (https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8555#section-7.3.2).
 		if uar.IsDeactivateRequest() {
 			acc, err = h.Auth.DeactivateAccount(prov, acc.GetID())
-		} else {
+		} else if len(uar.Contact) > 0 {
 			acc, err = h.Auth.UpdateAccount(prov, acc.GetID(), uar.Contact)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/acme/api/account_test.go b/acme/api/account_test.go
index a3ebf55c..65dfbb61 100644
--- a/acme/api/account_test.go
+++ b/acme/api/account_test.go
@@ -143,6 +143,11 @@ func TestUpdateAccountRequestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			}
 		},
+		"ok/accept-empty": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				uar: &UpdateAccountRequest{},
+			}
+		},
 	}
 	for name, run := range tests {
 		tc := run(t)
@@ -700,7 +705,29 @@ func TestHandlerGetUpdateAccount(t *testing.T) {
 				statusCode: 200,
 			}
 		},
-		"ok/new-account": func(t *testing.T) test {
+		"ok/update-empty": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			uar := &UpdateAccountRequest{}
+			b, err := json.Marshal(uar)
+			assert.FatalError(t, err)
+			ctx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), provisionerContextKey, prov)
+			ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, accContextKey, &acc)
+			ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, payloadContextKey, &payloadInfo{value: b})
+			return test{
+				auth: &mockAcmeAuthority{
+					getLink: func(typ acme.Link, provID string, abs bool, in ...string) string {
+						assert.Equals(t, typ, acme.AccountLink)
+						assert.Equals(t, provID, acme.URLSafeProvisionerName(prov))
+						assert.True(t, abs)
+						assert.Equals(t, in, []string{accID})
+						return fmt.Sprintf("https://ca.smallstep.com/acme/%s/account/%s",
+							acme.URLSafeProvisionerName(prov), accID)
+					},
+				},
+				ctx:        ctx,
+				statusCode: 200,
+			}
+		},
+		"ok/update-contacts": func(t *testing.T) test {
 			uar := &UpdateAccountRequest{
 				Contact: []string{"foo", "bar"},
 			}