diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorage.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorage.php
index c50f7b431a..f8c9613c49 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorage.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorage.php
@@ -296,7 +296,6 @@ protected function doSave(array $link) {
     if ($original) {
       $link['mlid'] = $original['mlid'];
       $link['has_children'] = $original['has_children'];
-      $affected_menus[$original['menu_name']] = $original['menu_name'];
       $fields = $this->preSave($link, $original);
       // If $link matches the $original data then exit early as there are no
       // changes to make. Use array_diff_assoc() to check if they match because:
@@ -308,6 +307,7 @@ protected function doSave(array $link) {
       if (array_diff_assoc($fields, $original) == [] && array_diff_assoc($original, $fields) == ['mlid' => $link['mlid']]) {
         return $affected_menus;
       }
+      $affected_menus[$original['menu_name']] = $original['menu_name'];
     }
 
     $transaction = $this->connection->startTransaction();
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageInterface.php
index 0e36e13c40..f0c61d0ee2 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageInterface.php
@@ -91,10 +91,13 @@ public function loadByRoute($route_name, array $route_parameters = [], $menu_nam
   /**
    * Saves a plugin definition to the storage.
    *
+   * This function can provide optimizations to avoid saves, when there have
+   * been no changes. This should be reflected in the return value.
+   *
    * @param array $definition
    *   A definition for a \Drupal\Core\Menu\MenuLinkInterface plugin.
    *
-   * @return array
+   * @return string[]
    *   The menu names affected by the save operation. This will be one menu
    *   name if the link is saved to the sane menu, or two if it is saved to a
    *   new menu.
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageTest.php
index ad3f04d0ab..b52f646329 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Menu/MenuTreeStorageTest.php
@@ -365,7 +365,21 @@ public function testLoadByProperties() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Tests saving without any changes.
+   */ 
+  public function testResaving() {
+    $affected_menus = $this->addMenuLink('root');
+    $this->assertEquals(['tools' => 'tools'], $affected_menus);
+
+    $menu_link = $this->treeStorage->load('root');
+    $this->assertEquals([], $this->treeStorage->save($menu_link));
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Adds a link with the given ID and supply defaults.
+   *
+   * @return string[]
+   *   The affected menus.
    */
   protected function addMenuLink($id, $parent = '', $route_name = 'test', $route_parameters = [], $menu_name = 'tools', $extra = []) {
     $link = [
@@ -378,7 +392,7 @@ protected function addMenuLink($id, $parent = '', $route_name = 'test', $route_p
       'options' => [],
       'metadata' => [],
     ] + $extra;
-    $this->treeStorage->save($link);
+    return $this->treeStorage->save($link);
   }
 
   /**