diff --git a/fastlite/kw.py b/fastlite/kw.py
index 3fc7d4e..57385aa 100644
--- a/fastlite/kw.py
+++ b/fastlite/kw.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ def update(self:Table, updates: dict|None=None, pk_values: list|tuple|str|int|fl
     updates = _process_row(updates)
     if not xtra: xtra = getattr(self, 'xtra_id', {})
     updates = {**updates, **kwargs, **xtra}
+    if not updates: return {}
     if pk_values is None: pk_values = [updates[o] for o in self.pks]
     self._orig_update(pk_values, updates=updates, alter=alter, conversions=conversions)
     return self.get_last()
diff --git a/nbs/test_update.ipynb b/nbs/test_update.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1cd230
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nbs/test_update.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,412 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "fd325418",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "# Test Update Operations"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "417f2c4e",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "## Setup"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "ad470f25",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "from fastlite import *\n",
+    "from dataclasses import is_dataclass"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "e4788661",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Note: Make sure to use fastlite's `database()` here"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "97dd1b48",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "db = database(':memory:')"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "5102a3ac",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "class People: id: int; name: str"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "9188c149",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "people = db.create(People, pk='id')"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "6c99cbae",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "## Test Single Updates"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "dbc67ac6",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Here we test `update()`"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "a0673d88",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "### Test Cases for `update()` Where Nothing Is Updated"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "eb45e038",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test that calling `insert()` without any parameters doesn't change anything, and returns nothing"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "fba0c4f7",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "data": {
+      "text/plain": [
+       "{}"
+      ]
+     },
+     "execution_count": null,
+     "metadata": {},
+     "output_type": "execute_result"
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "people.update()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "0355fe0a",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test None doesn't change anything."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "ace59c88",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "count = people.count\n",
+    "assert people.update(None) == {}\n",
+    "assert people.count == count"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "2ab1795b",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test empty dict doesn't change anything "
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "a93ec70a",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "count = people.count\n",
+    "assert people.update({}) == {}\n",
+    "assert people.count == count"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "79cd5186",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "# Test empty dataclass doesn't change anything\n",
+    "PersonDC = people.dataclass()\n",
+    "count = people.count\n",
+    "assert people.update(PersonDC()) == {}\n",
+    "assert people.count == count"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "aa988175",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "# Test empty class instance doesn't change anything\n",
+    "class EmptyPerson: pass\n",
+    "count = people.count\n",
+    "assert people.update(EmptyPerson()) == {}\n",
+    "assert people.count == count"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "811bc666",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "### Single Update Types"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "157baebb",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test update with `dict`. Result should include the Updated value"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "1fdd0aaf",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "person = people.insert(name='Alice')\n",
+    "adict = dict(id=person.id, name='Bob')\n",
+    "assert people.update(adict).name == 'Bob'\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == 'Bob'"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "d58b023f",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Fetch record from database to confirm it has changed"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "e5753017",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "assert people[person.id].name == 'Bob'"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "447e13c9",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test update with dataclass"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "c736aa0f",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "dc = People(id=person.id, name='Bobby')\n",
+    "assert is_dataclass(dc) is True\n",
+    "assert people.update(dc).name == 'Bobby'\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == 'Bobby'"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "0b4eb6df",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test with regular class"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "cfd90ab0",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "class Student: pass\n",
+    "student = Student()\n",
+    "student.name = 'Charlo'\n",
+    "student.id = person.id\n",
+    "\n",
+    "assert people.update(student).name == 'Charlo'\n",
+    "assert people[student.id].name == 'Charlo'"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "26a9c38a",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "### None and Empty String Handling"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "9abadc7e",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "SQLite makes a clear distinction between NULL (represented as None in Python) and an empty string (''). Unlike some popular Python ORMs, fastlite preserves this distinction because:\n",
+    "\n",
+    "1. NULL represents \"unknown\" or \"missing\" data\n",
+    "2. Empty string represents \"known to be empty\"\n",
+    "\n",
+    "These are semantically different concepts, and maintaining this distinction allows users to make appropriate queries (e.g. `WHERE name IS NULL` vs `WHERE name = ''`). The fact that fastlite preserves this distinction in both directions (Python->SQLite and SQLite->Python) is good database design."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "37ad998d",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test updating a record with name set to None"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "5a968d13",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "result = people.update(dict(id=person.id, name=None))\n",
+    "assert result.name is None\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == None"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "dd0c180d",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test with empty string"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "92d53608",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "result = people.update(dict(id=person.id, name=''))\n",
+    "assert result.name == ''\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == ''"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "d855c6a8",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "### Other Cases"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "1ee61d32",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test with special characters"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "972bab86",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "assert people.update(dict(id=person.id, name='O\\'Connor')).name == \"O'Connor\"\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == \"O'Connor\"\n",
+    "assert people.update(dict(id=person.id, name='José')).name == \"José\"\n",
+    "assert people[person.id].name == \"José\""
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "f1209e4b",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Test that extra fields raise `sqlite3.OperationalError`"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "07c034e9",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "from sqlite3 import OperationalError"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "963008b6",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "try:\n",
+    "    p = people.update(dict(id=person.id, name='Extra', age=25, title='Dr'))\n",
+    "except OperationalError as e:\n",
+    "    assert e.args[0] == 'no such column: age'"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "python3",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 5
+}