diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/CreateAccessChange.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/CreateAccessChange.java
index 44005c0f29..c154e0e715 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/CreateAccessChange.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/CreateAccessChange.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.PermissionDeniedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.access.ProjectAccessInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.common.ChangeInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.Response;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestModifyView;
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ import com.google.inject.Singleton;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectInserter;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectReader;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevCommit;
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@ public class CreateAccessChange implements RestModifyView<ProjectResource, Proje
 
     try (MetaDataUpdate md = metaDataUpdateUser.create(rsrc.getNameKey())) {
       ProjectConfig config = ProjectConfig.read(md);
+      ObjectId oldCommit = config.getRevision();
 
       setAccess.validateChanges(config, removals, additions);
       setAccess.applyChanges(config, removals, additions);
@@ -135,10 +138,15 @@ public class CreateAccessChange implements RestModifyView<ProjectResource, Proje
       md.setMessage("Review access change");
       md.setInsertChangeId(true);
       Change.Id changeId = new Change.Id(seq.nextChangeId());
+
       RevCommit commit =
           config.commitToNewRef(
               md, new PatchSet.Id(changeId, Change.INITIAL_PATCH_SET_ID).toRefName());
 
+      if (commit.name().equals(oldCommit.getName())) {
+        throw new BadRequestException("no change");
+      }
+
       try (ObjectInserter objInserter = md.getRepository().newObjectInserter();
           ObjectReader objReader = objInserter.newReader();
           RevWalk rw = new RevWalk(objReader);
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/AccessIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/AccessIT.java
index d9a2d923f1..9865359b6d 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/AccessIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/project/AccessIT.java
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ public class AccessIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
         p.get(), RefNames.REFS_CONFIG, null, initialHead, initialHead, updatedHead);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void createAccessChangeNop() throws Exception {
+    ProjectAccessInput accessInput = newProjectAccessInput();
+    exception.expect(BadRequestException.class);
+    pApi.accessChange(accessInput);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void createAccessChange() throws Exception {
     // User can see the branch