diff --git a/rdmo/projects/tests/test_viewset_project_progress.py b/rdmo/projects/tests/test_viewset_project_progress.py
index 6c39a52798..8b6af4bd9c 100644
--- a/rdmo/projects/tests/test_viewset_project_progress.py
+++ b/rdmo/projects/tests/test_viewset_project_progress.py
@@ -91,3 +91,45 @@ def test_progress_post(db, client, username, password, project_id):
             assert response.status_code == 404
         else:
             assert response.status_code == 401
+
+
+def test_progress_post_changed(db, client):
+    client.login(username='owner', password='owner')
+
+    project = Project.objects.get(id=1)
+    project.progress_count = progress_count = 0
+    project.progress_total = progress_total = 0
+    project.save()
+    project.refresh_from_db()
+    project_updated = project.updated
+
+    url = reverse(urlnames['progress'], args=[1])
+    response = client.post(url)
+
+    project.refresh_from_db()
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert project.updated > project_updated
+    assert project.progress_count > progress_count
+    assert project.progress_total > progress_total
+
+
+def test_progress_post_unchanged(db, client):
+    client.login(username='owner', password='owner')
+
+    project = Project.objects.get(id=1)
+    project.progress_count = progress_count = 58  # the progres in the fixture is not up-to-date
+    project.progress_total = progress_total = 81
+    project.save()
+    project.refresh_from_db()
+    project_updated = project.updated
+
+    url = reverse(urlnames['progress'], args=[1])
+    response = client.post(url)
+
+    project.refresh_from_db()
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert project.progress_count == progress_count
+    assert project.progress_total == progress_total
+    assert project.updated == project_updated
diff --git a/rdmo/projects/viewsets.py b/rdmo/projects/viewsets.py
index 35558fc562..9a974895a5 100644
--- a/rdmo/projects/viewsets.py
+++ b/rdmo/projects/viewsets.py
@@ -213,11 +213,12 @@ def progress(self, request, pk=None):
         project = self.get_object()
 
         if request.method == 'POST' or project.progress_count is None or project.progress_total is None:
-            # compute the progress and store
+            # compute the progress, but store it only, if it has changed
             project.catalog.prefetch_elements()
-            project.progress_count, project.progress_total = compute_progress(project)
-            project.save()
-
+            progress_count, progress_total = compute_progress(project)
+            if progress_count != project.progress_count or progress_total != project.progress_total:
+                project.progress_count, project.progress_total = progress_count, progress_total
+                project.save()
         try:
             ratio = project.progress_count / project.progress_total
         except ZeroDivisionError: