diff --git a/OpenKeychain/src/main/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperation.java b/OpenKeychain/src/main/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperation.java
index 011657a95..27ba4638c 100644
--- a/OpenKeychain/src/main/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperation.java
+++ b/OpenKeychain/src/main/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperation.java
@@ -1330,10 +1330,14 @@ public class PgpKeyOperation {
         PBESecretKeyDecryptor keyDecryptor = new JcePBESecretKeyDecryptorBuilder().setProvider(
                 Constants.BOUNCY_CASTLE_PROVIDER_NAME).build(passphrase.getCharArray());
         // Build key encryptor based on new passphrase
-        PBESecretKeyEncryptor keyEncryptorNew = new JcePBESecretKeyEncryptorBuilder(
-                PgpSecurityConstants.SECRET_KEY_ENCRYPTOR_SYMMETRIC_ALGO, encryptorHashCalc,
-                PgpSecurityConstants.SECRET_KEY_ENCRYPTOR_S2K_COUNT)
-                .setProvider(Constants.BOUNCY_CASTLE_PROVIDER_NAME).build(newPassphrase.getCharArray());
+        PBESecretKeyEncryptor keyEncryptorNew = null;
+        if (newPassphrase != null && !newPassphrase.isEmpty()) {
+            keyEncryptorNew = new JcePBESecretKeyEncryptorBuilder(
+                    PgpSecurityConstants.SECRET_KEY_ENCRYPTOR_SYMMETRIC_ALGO, encryptorHashCalc,
+                    PgpSecurityConstants.SECRET_KEY_ENCRYPTOR_S2K_COUNT)
+                    .setProvider(Constants.BOUNCY_CASTLE_PROVIDER_NAME)
+                    .build(newPassphrase.getCharArray());
+        }
         boolean keysModified = false;
 
         for (PGPSecretKey sKey : new IterableIterator<>(sKR.getSecretKeys())) {
diff --git a/OpenKeychain/src/test/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperationTest.java b/OpenKeychain/src/test/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperationTest.java
index 06d112b6a..73d9adad6 100644
--- a/OpenKeychain/src/test/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperationTest.java
+++ b/OpenKeychain/src/test/java/org/sufficientlysecure/keychain/pgp/PgpKeyOperationTest.java
@@ -1192,8 +1192,6 @@ public class PgpKeyOperationTest {
             Assert.assertTrue("key modification must succeed", result.success());
             Assert.assertFalse("log must not contain a warning",
                     result.getLog().containsWarnings());
-            Assert.assertTrue("log must contain an empty passphrase retry notice",
-                result.getLog().containsType(LogType.MSG_MF_PASSPHRASE_EMPTY_RETRY));
             modified = result.getRing();
         }