diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
index 6a9fd435e..f9564ac42 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
@@ -489,11 +489,9 @@ public class SimpleJpaRepository<T, ID> implements JpaRepository<T, ID>, JpaSpec
 		if (entityInformation.isNew(entity)) {
 			em.persist(entity);
 			return entity;
-		} else if (!em.contains(entity)) {
+		} else {
 			return em.merge(entity);
 		}
-
-		return entity;
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
index 4043943a8..6294f15e7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ public class SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests {
 		verify(em).merge(detachedUser);
 	}
 
-	@Test // DATAJPA-931
-	public void mergeGetsNotCalledWhenAttached() {
+	@Test // DATAJPA-931, DATAJPA-1261
+	public void mergeGetsCalledWhenAttached() {
 
 		User attachedUser = new User();
 
@@ -154,6 +154,6 @@ public class SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests {
 
 		repo.save(attachedUser);
 
-		verify(em, never()).merge(attachedUser);
+		verify(em).merge(attachedUser);
 	}
 }