diff --git a/storage/grpc_client.go b/storage/grpc_client.go
index c5e2e3983d94..eae804c6ed2b 100644
--- a/storage/grpc_client.go
+++ b/storage/grpc_client.go
@@ -382,6 +382,13 @@ func (c *grpcStorageClient) UpdateBucket(ctx context.Context, bucket string, uat
 
 	req.UpdateMask = fieldMask
 
+	if len(fieldMask.Paths) < 1 {
+		// Nothing to update. Send a get request for current attrs instead. This
+		// maintains consistency with JSON bucket updates.
+		opts = append(opts, idempotent(true))
+		return c.GetBucket(ctx, bucket, conds, opts...)
+	}
+
 	var battrs *BucketAttrs
 	err := run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		res, err := c.raw.UpdateBucket(ctx, req, s.gax...)
@@ -602,6 +609,17 @@ func (c *grpcStorageClient) UpdateObject(ctx context.Context, params *updateObje
 
 	req.UpdateMask = fieldMask
 
+	if len(fieldMask.Paths) < 1 {
+		// Nothing to update. To maintain consistency with JSON, we must still
+		// update the object because metageneration and other fields are
+		// updated even on an empty update.
+		// gRPC will fail if the fieldmask is empty, so instead we add an
+		// output-only field to the update mask. Output-only fields are (and must
+		// be - see AIP 161) ignored, but allow us to send an empty update because
+		// any mask that is valid for read (as this one is) must be valid for write.
+		fieldMask.Paths = append(fieldMask.Paths, "create_time")
+	}
+
 	var attrs *ObjectAttrs
 	err := run(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		res, err := c.raw.UpdateObject(ctx, req, s.gax...)
diff --git a/storage/integration_test.go b/storage/integration_test.go
index 954a4825ea1a..168c2ff8fcaa 100644
--- a/storage/integration_test.go
+++ b/storage/integration_test.go
@@ -623,6 +623,15 @@ func TestIntegration_BucketUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		if !testutil.Equal(attrs.StorageClass, wantStorageClass) {
 			t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", attrs.StorageClass, wantStorageClass)
 		}
+
+		// Empty update should succeed without changing the bucket.
+		gotAttrs, err := b.Update(ctx, BucketAttrsToUpdate{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("empty update: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !testutil.Equal(attrs, gotAttrs) {
+			t.Fatalf("empty update: got %v, want %v", gotAttrs, attrs)
+		}
 	})
 }
 
@@ -1610,6 +1619,17 @@ func TestIntegration_ObjectUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		if !updated.Created.Before(updated.Updated) {
 			t.Errorf("updated.Updated should be newer than update.Created")
 		}
+
+		// Test empty update. Most fields should be unchanged, but updating will
+		// increase the metageneration and update time.
+		wantAttrs := updated
+		gotAttrs, err := o.Update(ctx, ObjectAttrsToUpdate{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("empty update: %v", err)
+		}
+		if diff := testutil.Diff(gotAttrs, wantAttrs, cmpopts.IgnoreFields(ObjectAttrs{}, "Etag", "Metageneration", "Updated")); diff != "" {
+			t.Errorf("empty update: got=-, want=+:\n%s", diff)
+		}
 	})
 }
 
@@ -3746,8 +3766,7 @@ func TestIntegration_UpdateCORS(t *testing.T) {
 				bkt := client.Bucket(prefix + uidSpace.New())
 				h.mustCreate(bkt, testutil.ProjID(), &BucketAttrs{CORS: initialSettings})
 				defer h.mustDeleteBucket(bkt)
-				// Set VersioningEnabled so that we don't send an empty update/patch request, which is invalid for gRPC
-				h.mustUpdateBucket(bkt, BucketAttrsToUpdate{CORS: test.input, VersioningEnabled: false}, h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt).MetaGeneration)
+				h.mustUpdateBucket(bkt, BucketAttrsToUpdate{CORS: test.input}, h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt).MetaGeneration)
 				attrs := h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt)
 				if diff := testutil.Diff(attrs.CORS, test.want); diff != "" {
 					t.Errorf("input: %v\ngot=-, want=+:\n%s", test.input, diff)
@@ -3976,8 +3995,7 @@ func TestIntegration_UpdateRetentionPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 				bkt := client.Bucket(prefix + uidSpace.New())
 				h.mustCreate(bkt, testutil.ProjID(), &BucketAttrs{RetentionPolicy: initial})
 				defer h.mustDeleteBucket(bkt)
-				// Set VersioningEnabled so that we don't send an empty update request, which is invalid for gRPC
-				h.mustUpdateBucket(bkt, BucketAttrsToUpdate{RetentionPolicy: test.input, VersioningEnabled: false}, h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt).MetaGeneration)
+				h.mustUpdateBucket(bkt, BucketAttrsToUpdate{RetentionPolicy: test.input}, h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt).MetaGeneration)
 
 				attrs := h.mustBucketAttrs(bkt)
 				if attrs.RetentionPolicy != nil && attrs.RetentionPolicy.EffectiveTime.Unix() == 0 {