diff --git a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
index 0651e4930072242524dc955c6ae69ca70b5f877a..0862cf9f32575b9773bc16d845bb459d67b0140c 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
@@ -353,10 +353,14 @@ def empty_diff(old_entity: Entity, new_entity: Entity, compare_referenced_record
     olddiff, newdiff = compare_entities(
         old_entity, new_entity, compare_referenced_records)
     for diff in [olddiff, newdiff]:
-        for key in diff:
+        for key in ["parents", "properties"]:
             if len(diff[key]) > 0:
                 # There is a difference somewhere in the diff
                 return False
+        for key in SPECIAL_ATTRIBUTES:
+            if key in diff and diff[key]:
+                # There is a difference in at least one special attribute
+                return False
     # all elements of the two diffs were empty
     return True