diff --git a/lib/data/entity.js b/lib/data/entity.js
index 86e162ee7..936c00feb 100644
--- a/lib/data/entity.js
+++ b/lib/data/entity.js
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ const diffEntityData = (defData) => {
 // Returns an array of properties which are different between
 // `dataReceived` and `otherVersionData`
 const getDiffProp = (dataReceived, otherVersionData) =>
-  Object.keys(dataReceived).filter(key => key in otherVersionData && dataReceived[key] !== otherVersionData[key]);
+  Object.keys(dataReceived).filter(key => (!(key in otherVersionData)) || (key in otherVersionData && dataReceived[key] !== otherVersionData[key]));
 
 const ConflictType = {
   SOFT: 'soft', // discrepancy in version number but no overlaping properties
diff --git a/lib/model/query/entities.js b/lib/model/query/entities.js
index be380f03d..c2d867c75 100644
--- a/lib/model/query/entities.js
+++ b/lib/model/query/entities.js
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ const _updateEntity = (dataset, entityData, submissionId, submissionDef, submiss
     if (serverEntity.aux.currentVersion.label !== baseEntityVersion.label)
       serverDiffData.label = serverEntity.aux.currentVersion.label;
 
-    conflictingProperties = getDiffProp(clientEntity.def.dataReceived, serverDiffData);
+    conflictingProperties = Object.keys(clientEntity.def.dataReceived).filter(key => key in serverDiffData && clientEntity.def.dataReceived[key] !== serverDiffData[key]);
 
     if (conflict !== ConflictType.HARD) { // We don't want to downgrade conflict here
       conflict = conflictingProperties.length > 0 ? ConflictType.HARD : ConflictType.SOFT;
diff --git a/test/unit/data/entity.js b/test/unit/data/entity.js
index 1e9897d3a..63ecd8da5 100644
--- a/test/unit/data/entity.js
+++ b/test/unit/data/entity.js
@@ -673,9 +673,14 @@ describe('extracting and validating entities', () => {
   describe('getDiffProp', () => {
 
     it('should return list of different properties', () => {
-      getDiffProp({ name: 'John', age: '22', gender: 'male' }, { name: 'Jane', age: '22', hometown: 'Boston' })
+      getDiffProp({ name: 'John', age: '22', hometown: 'Boston' }, { name: 'Jane', age: '22', hometown: 'Boston' })
         .should.eql(['name']);
     });
+
+    it('should include properties not in 2nd argument', () => {
+      getDiffProp({ name: 'John', age: '22', gender: 'male' }, { name: 'Jane', age: '22', hometown: 'Boston' })
+        .should.eql(['name', 'gender']);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('getWithConflictDetails', () => {