diff --git a/heat/engine/service.py b/heat/engine/service.py
index 707ed183c..f3574c61d 100644
--- a/heat/engine/service.py
+++ b/heat/engine/service.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class ThreadGroupManager(object):
             releasing the lock to avoid race condtitions.
             """
             if stack is not None and stack.action not in (
-                    stack.DELETE, stack.ROLLBACK):
+                    stack.DELETE, stack.ROLLBACK, stack.UPDATE):
                 stack.persist_state_and_release_lock(lock.engine_id)
             else:
                 lock.release()
diff --git a/heat/tests/engine/service/test_stack_events.py b/heat/tests/engine/service/test_stack_events.py
index dde60f589..bfb082dda 100644
--- a/heat/tests/engine/service/test_stack_events.py
+++ b/heat/tests/engine/service/test_stack_events.py
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ class StackEventTest(common.HeatTestCase):
 
         result = self.eng.update_stack(self.ctx, self.stack.identifier(),
                                        new_tmpl, None, None, {})
-        self.stack._persist_state()
 
         # The self.stack reference needs to be updated. Since the underlying
         # stack is updated in update_stack, the original reference is now
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ class StackEventTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.assertTrue(result['stack_id'])
         events = self.eng.list_events(self.ctx, self.stack.identifier())
 
-        self.assertEqual(11, len(events))
+        self.assertEqual(10, len(events))
 
         for ev in events:
             self.assertIn('event_identity', ev)
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_stack_update.py b/heat/tests/test_stack_update.py
index f137107d8..58f4416fc 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_stack_update.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_stack_update.py
@@ -924,6 +924,7 @@ class StackUpdateTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.stack.create()
         self.assertEqual((stack.Stack.CREATE, stack.Stack.COMPLETE),
                          self.stack.state)
+        self.stack._persist_state()
 
         tmpl2 = {'HeatTemplateFormatVersion': '2012-12-12',
                  'Resources': {'AResource': {'Type': 'ResourceWithPropsType',
@@ -944,6 +945,10 @@ class StackUpdateTest(common.HeatTestCase):
             self.stack.update(updated_stack)
             self.assertEqual((stack.Stack.ROLLBACK, stack.Stack.COMPLETE),
                              self.stack.state)
+            self.eng = service.EngineService('a-host', 'a-topic')
+            events = self.eng.list_events(self.ctx, self.stack.identifier())
+            self.assertEqual(10, len(events))
+
             self.assertEqual('abc', self.stack['AResource'].properties['Foo'])
             self.assertEqual(5, mock_db_update.call_count)
             self.assertEqual('UPDATE',