diff --git a/agent/consul/state/kvs.go b/agent/consul/state/kvs.go
index 070a2fc815..eea081c91d 100644
--- a/agent/consul/state/kvs.go
+++ b/agent/consul/state/kvs.go
@@ -131,14 +131,15 @@ func (s *Store) KVSSet(idx uint64, entry *structs.DirEntry) error {
 // whatever the existing session is.
 func (s *Store) kvsSetTxn(tx *memdb.Txn, idx uint64, entry *structs.DirEntry, updateSession bool) error {
 	// Retrieve an existing KV pair
-	existing, err := tx.First("kvs", "id", entry.Key)
+	existingNode, err := tx.First("kvs", "id", entry.Key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed kvs lookup: %s", err)
 	}
+	existing, _ := existingNode.(*structs.DirEntry)
 
 	// Set the indexes.
 	if existing != nil {
-		entry.CreateIndex = existing.(*structs.DirEntry).CreateIndex
+		entry.CreateIndex = existing.CreateIndex
 	} else {
 		entry.CreateIndex = idx
 	}
@@ -148,12 +149,17 @@ func (s *Store) kvsSetTxn(tx *memdb.Txn, idx uint64, entry *structs.DirEntry, up
 	// session for a new entry is "no session".
 	if !updateSession {
 		if existing != nil {
-			entry.Session = existing.(*structs.DirEntry).Session
+			entry.Session = existing.Session
 		} else {
 			entry.Session = ""
 		}
 	}
 
+	// skip write if the entry did not change
+	if existing != nil && existing.Equal(entry) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Store the kv pair in the state store and update the index.
 	if err := tx.Insert("kvs", entry); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed inserting kvs entry: %s", err)
diff --git a/agent/consul/state/kvs_test.go b/agent/consul/state/kvs_test.go
index 1ff2d6394f..e9f088c6df 100644
--- a/agent/consul/state/kvs_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/state/kvs_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/structs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-memdb"
 )
@@ -357,6 +359,21 @@ func TestStateStore_KVSSet_KVSGet(t *testing.T) {
 	if result != nil || err != nil || idx != 8 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected (8, nil, nil), got : (%#v, %#v, %#v)", idx, result, err)
 	}
+
+	// setting the same value again does not update the index
+	ws = memdb.NewWatchSet()
+	// Write a new K/V entry to the store.
+	entry = &structs.DirEntry{
+		Key:   "foo",
+		Value: []byte("bar"),
+	}
+	require.Nil(t, s.KVSSet(1, entry))
+	require.Nil(t, s.KVSSet(2, entry))
+
+	idx, _, err = s.KVSGet(ws, entry.Key)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, uint64(1), idx)
 }
 
 func TestStateStore_KVSList(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1430,7 +1447,7 @@ func TestStateStore_KVS_Snapshot_Restore(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Verify the snapshot.
-	if idx := snap.LastIndex(); idx != 7 {
+	if idx := snap.LastIndex(); idx != 6 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad index: %d", idx)
 	}
 	iter, err := snap.KVs()
diff --git a/agent/structs/structs.go b/agent/structs/structs.go
index 62cdfe5ae6..4df742d801 100644
--- a/agent/structs/structs.go
+++ b/agent/structs/structs.go
@@ -1358,6 +1358,14 @@ func (d *DirEntry) Clone() *DirEntry {
 	}
 }
 
+func (d *DirEntry) Equal(o *DirEntry) bool {
+	return d.LockIndex == o.LockIndex &&
+		d.Key == o.Key &&
+		d.Flags == o.Flags &&
+		bytes.Equal(d.Value, o.Value) &&
+		d.Session == o.Session
+}
+
 type DirEntries []*DirEntry
 
 // KVSRequest is used to operate on the Key-Value store
diff --git a/api/lock_test.go b/api/lock_test.go
index a0d9776725..c97676e930 100644
--- a/api/lock_test.go
+++ b/api/lock_test.go
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ func TestAPI_LockMonitorRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
+	pair.Value = []byte{1}
 	if _, err := raw.KV().Put(pair, &WriteOptions{}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -496,6 +497,7 @@ func TestAPI_LockMonitorRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	mutex.Lock()
 	errors = 10
 	mutex.Unlock()
+	pair.Value = []byte{2}
 	if _, err := raw.KV().Put(pair, &WriteOptions{}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}