diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCache.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCache.java
index 422a902dc1..376330e12e 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCache.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCache.java
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-/*
- * #%L
- * Alfresco Repository
- * %%
- * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
- * %%
- * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
- * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
- * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
- * provided under the following open source license terms:
- * 
- * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
- * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- * (at your option) any later version.
- * 
- * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
- * 
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
- * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- * #L%
- */
+/*
+ * #%L
+ * Alfresco Repository
+ * %%
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
+ * %%
+ * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
+ * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
+ * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
+ * provided under the following open source license terms:
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ * 
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ * #L%
+ */
 package org.alfresco.repo.cache;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
@@ -150,10 +150,24 @@ public final class DefaultSimpleCache<K extends Serializable, V extends Object>
      * @return <code>true</code> if the put resulted in a change in value, <code>false</code> otherwise.
      */
     public boolean putAndCheckUpdate(K key, V value)
+    {
+        return putAndCheckUpdate(key, value, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * <code>put</code> method that may be used to check for updates in a thread-safe manner.
+     *
+     * @param includeNewCheck if true then we include the new value in the check
+     * @return <code>true</code> if the put resulted in a change in value, 
+     *     or if includeNewCheck is true and the put resulted in a new value, 
+     *     <code>false</code> otherwise.
+     */
+    public boolean putAndCheckUpdate(K key, V value, boolean includeNewCheck)
     {
         AbstractMap.SimpleImmutableEntry<K, V> kvp = new AbstractMap.SimpleImmutableEntry<K, V>(key, value);
         AbstractMap.SimpleImmutableEntry<K, V> priorKVP = cache.asMap().put(key, kvp);
-        return priorKVP != null && (! priorKVP.equals(kvp));
+
+        return (includeNewCheck && priorKVP == null) || (priorKVP != null && (!priorKVP.equals(kvp)));
     }
     
     @Override
diff --git a/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/tx-cache-context.xml b/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/tx-cache-context.xml
index 8ab850ec58..6b47973f2c 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/tx-cache-context.xml
+++ b/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/tx-cache-context.xml
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@
       <property name="tenantAware" value="false" />
       <property name="cacheStats" ref="cacheStatistics"/>
       <property name="cacheStatsEnabled" value="${cache.immutableEntitySharedCache.tx.statsEnabled}"/>
+      <property name="allowEqualsChecks" value="true" />
    </bean>
    
    
diff --git a/repository/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCacheTest.java b/repository/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCacheTest.java
index ec0b5dec1e..43d97ed8f6 100644
--- a/repository/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCacheTest.java
+++ b/repository/src/test/java/org/alfresco/repo/cache/DefaultSimpleCacheTest.java
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-/*
- * #%L
- * Alfresco Repository
- * %%
- * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
- * %%
- * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
- * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
- * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
- * provided under the following open source license terms:
- * 
- * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
- * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- * (at your option) any later version.
- * 
- * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
- * 
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
- * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- * #L%
- */
+/*
+ * #%L
+ * Alfresco Repository
+ * %%
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
+ * %%
+ * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
+ * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
+ * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
+ * provided under the following open source license terms:
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ * 
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ * #L%
+ */
 package org.alfresco.repo.cache;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
@@ -131,6 +131,45 @@ public class DefaultSimpleCacheTest extends SimpleCacheTestBase<DefaultSimpleCac
         assertEquals(false, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, "104"));
         assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void putAndCheckUpdateIncludeNewCheck()
+    {
+        // Put an initial value
+        cache.put(101, "101");
+        // Update it
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(101, "99101", true));
+        // Check the value really was updated
+        assertEquals("99101", cache.get(101));
+
+        // Precondition: no value for key 102
+        assertFalse(cache.contains(102));
+        // Put a value - and test the return
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(102, "102", true));
+        assertEquals("102", cache.get(102));
+
+        cache.put(103, null);
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(103, "103", true));
+        // Repeat the put, this should not be an update
+        assertEquals(false, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(103, "103", true));
+
+        assertFalse(cache.contains(104));
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null, true));
+        // Repeat putting null - still not an update, as we had that value a moment ago.
+        assertEquals(false, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null, true));
+        // Now an update
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, "104", true));
+        // Another update
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, "99104", true));
+        // Another update, back to null
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null, true));
+        // Not an update - still null
+        assertEquals(false, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null, true));
+
+        cache.remove(104);
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, "104", true));
+        assertEquals(true, cache.putAndCheckUpdate(104, null, true));
+    }
     
     // TODO: Timer-based tests are not ideal. An alternative approach is to factor out the CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
     // call to a protected method, override that in this test class to return a mock and use the mock to check
@@ -198,6 +237,6 @@ public class DefaultSimpleCacheTest extends SimpleCacheTestBase<DefaultSimpleCac
         {
             throw new RuntimeException(error);
         }
-    }
+    }
 
 }