diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index d8fbf08f3f..5da38fe23a 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -1422,10 +1422,30 @@ func (s *Server) v1PoliciesPut(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	m.Timer("server_read_bytes").Stop()
+
+	txn, err := s.store.NewTransaction(ctx, storage.WriteParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		writer.ErrorAuto(w, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if bs, err := s.store.GetPolicy(ctx, txn, path); err != nil {
+		if !storage.IsNotFound(err) {
+			s.abortAuto(ctx, txn, w, err)
+			return
+		}
+	} else if bytes.Equal(buf, bs) {
+		s.store.Abort(ctx, txn)
+		response := types.PolicyPutResponseV1{}
+		if includeMetrics {
+			response.Metrics = m.All()
+		}
+		writer.JSON(w, http.StatusOK, response, pretty)
+		return
+	}
+
 	m.Timer(metrics.RegoModuleParse).Start()
-
 	parsedMod, err := ast.ParseModule(path, string(buf))
-
 	m.Timer(metrics.RegoModuleParse).Stop()
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1443,13 +1463,6 @@ func (s *Server) v1PoliciesPut(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	txn, err := s.store.NewTransaction(ctx, storage.WriteParams)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		writer.ErrorAuto(w, err)
-		return
-	}
-
 	if err := s.checkPolicyPackageScope(ctx, txn, parsedMod.Package); err != nil {
 		s.abortAuto(ctx, txn, w, err)
 		return
diff --git a/server/server_test.go b/server/server_test.go
index b136f114c8..c2c1890f8b 100644
--- a/server/server_test.go
+++ b/server/server_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httputil"
 	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -1598,6 +1599,49 @@ q[x] { p[x] }`,
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPoliciesPutV1Noop(t *testing.T) {
+	f := newFixture(t)
+	f.v1("PUT", "/policies/test?metrics", `package foo`, 200, "")
+	f.reset()
+	f.v1("PUT", "/policies/test?metrics", `package foo`, 200, "")
+
+	var resp types.PolicyPutResponseV1
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(f.recorder.Body).Decode(&resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	exp := []string{"timer_server_read_bytes_ns"}
+
+	// Sort the metric keys and compare to expected value. We're assuming the
+	// server skips parsing if the bytes are equal.
+	result := []string{}
+
+	for k := range resp.Metrics {
+		result = append(result, k)
+	}
+
+	sort.Strings(result)
+
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(exp, result) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v but got %v", exp, result)
+	}
+
+	f.reset()
+
+	// Ensure subsequent update with changed policy parses the body.
+	f.v1("PUT", "/policies/test?metrics", "package foo\np = 1", 200, "")
+
+	var resp2 types.PolicyPutResponseV1
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(f.recorder.Body).Decode(&resp2); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := resp2.Metrics["timer_rego_module_parse_ns"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected parse module metric in response but got %v", resp2)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestPoliciesListV1(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 	put := newReqV1(http.MethodPut, "/policies/1", testMod)