diff --git a/src/app-utils/gnc-sx-instance-model.c b/src/app-utils/gnc-sx-instance-model.c
index 018e1fcd47..de57c17ad9 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gnc-sx-instance-model.c
+++ b/src/app-utils/gnc-sx-instance-model.c
@@ -1053,6 +1053,12 @@ gnc_sx_instance_model_effect_change(GncSxInstanceModel *model,
           gint instance_count = 0;
           gint remain_occur_count = 0;
 
+          // If there are no instances, then skip; specifically, skip
+          // re-setting SchedXaction fields, which will dirty the book
+          // spuriously.
+          if (g_list_length(instances->list) == 0)
+               continue;
+
           last_occur_date = xaccSchedXactionGetLastOccurDate(instances->sx);
           instance_count = gnc_sx_get_instance_count(instances->sx, NULL);
           remain_occur_count = xaccSchedXactionGetRemOccur(instances->sx);
diff --git a/src/doc/sx.rst b/src/doc/sx.rst
index 8f6cf4d0dd..c01467d6ba 100644
--- a/src/doc/sx.rst
+++ b/src/doc/sx.rst
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ TODO
   - [ ] check variables-unbound logic
   - [ ] verify summary counts
   - [ ] check "since last run" states
+    - [ ] specious datafile dirty-ing?
     - [ ] -autocreate[, ±notify]
     - [ ] +autocreate, -notify
     - [ ] +autocreate, +notify
@@ -57,8 +58,6 @@ TODO
     - [?] Expired scheduled transactions never run - <http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=375892>
 
 - bugs
-  - [ ] specious datafile dirty-ing?
-
   - [ ] with SLR open (with instances), add variables to SX; only newly-created instances will have appropriate variable tables.
 
 ! - [ ] crash with two sx lists open and SX mutation