diff --git a/src/update.ts b/src/update.ts
index f339963..cd5d715 100644
--- a/src/update.ts
+++ b/src/update.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export class Update extends Write {
   async run(): Promise<UpdateCommandOutput> { return await this._client!.send(new UpdateCommand(this.build())) }
   transactWriteItem(): TransactWriteItem { return { Update: this.build() as any as TransactUpdate } }
 
+  isEmpty(): boolean { return this.setBuilder.isEmpty() && this.addBuilder.isEmpty() && this.removeBuilder.isEmpty() && this.deleteBuilder.isEmpty() }
   add(key: string, value: any): Update { this.addBuilder.pair(key, value, (n, v) => { return `${n} ${v}` }); return this; }
   subtract(key: string, value: any): Update { this.setBuilder.pair(key, value, (n, v) => { return `${n} = ${n} - ${v}` }); return this; }
 
diff --git a/test/update.test.ts b/test/update.test.ts
index fe003e3..673e2cb 100644
--- a/test/update.test.ts
+++ b/test/update.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ describe('update', () => {
   const update = new Update('table1850', { PK: 'big', SK: 'boi' })
 
   it('build with just one set', () => {
+    expect(update.isEmpty()).toBe(true)
     update.set('a', 1)
+    expect(update.isEmpty()).toBe(false)
     const built = update.build()
 
     expect(built).toEqual({
@@ -196,9 +198,13 @@ describe('update', () => {
       UpdateExpression: 'SET #autonomy = :autonomy'
     }
 
-    const update2 = new Update('90zcjx', { PK: 'catch', SK: 33 }).set('autonomy', false).condition('autonomy', '=', true)
+    const update2 = new Update('90zcjx', { PK: 'catch', SK: 33 })
     update2.returnItemCollectionMetrics = 'NONE'
 
+    expect(update2.isEmpty()).toBe(true)
+    update2.set('autonomy', false).condition('autonomy', '=', true)
+    expect(update2.isEmpty()).toBe(false)
+
     const expected2 = {
       ConditionExpression: '#autonomy = :autonomyEqualsConditionValue',
       ExpressionAttributeNames: { '#autonomy': 'autonomy' },