diff --git a/app/controllers/epp/domains_controller.rb b/app/controllers/epp/domains_controller.rb
index 9655eddfa..fa0003756 100644
--- a/app/controllers/epp/domains_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/epp/domains_controller.rb
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ module Epp
       updated = @domain.update(params[:parsed_frame], current_user)
       (handle_errors(@domain) && return) unless updated
 
-      Dispute.close_by_domain(@domain.name) if @domain.disputed?
       pending = @domain.epp_pending_update.present?
       render_epp_response "/epp/domains/success#{'_pending' if pending}"
     end
diff --git a/app/controllers/registrar/domains_controller.rb b/app/controllers/registrar/domains_controller.rb
index d0cbc3f4d..50ad0bd10 100644
--- a/app/controllers/registrar/domains_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/registrar/domains_controller.rb
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ class Registrar
       authorize! :update, Depp::Domain
       @data = @domain.info(params[:domain_name])
       @domain_params = Depp::Domain.construct_params_from_server_data(@data)
-      @disputed = Dispute.active.find_by(domain_name: params[:domain_name]).present?
+      @dispute = Dispute.active.find_by(domain_name: params[:domain_name])
     end
 
     def update
       authorize! :update, Depp::Domain
       @domain_params = params[:domain]
       @data = @domain.update(@domain_params)
-      @disputed = Dispute.active.find_by(domain_name: @domain_params[:name]).present?
+      @dispute = Dispute.active.find_by(domain_name: @domain_params[:name])
 
       if response_ok?
         redirect_to info_registrar_domains_url(domain_name: @domain_params[:name])
diff --git a/app/models/epp/domain.rb b/app/models/epp/domain.rb
index 32c7a2667..e7ab6a249 100644
--- a/app/models/epp/domain.rb
+++ b/app/models/epp/domain.rb
@@ -475,7 +475,11 @@ class Epp::Domain < Domain
       self.up_date = Time.zone.now
     end
 
-    same_registrant_as_current = (registrant.code == frame.css('registrant').text)
+    same_registrant_as_current = true
+    # registrant block may not be present, so we need this to rule out false positives
+    unless frame.css('registrant').text.blank?
+      same_registrant_as_current = (registrant.code == frame.css('registrant').text)
+    end
 
     if !same_registrant_as_current && disputed?
       disputed_pw = frame.css('reserved > pw').text
@@ -484,7 +488,9 @@ class Epp::Domain < Domain
         'pw element required for dispute domains')
       else
         dispute = Dispute.active.find_by(domain_name: name, password: disputed_pw)
-        if dispute.nil?
+        if dispute
+          Dispute.close_by_domain(name)
+        else
           add_epp_error('2202', nil, nil, 'Invalid authorization information; '\
           'invalid reserved>pw value')
         end
diff --git a/app/views/registrar/domains/form/_general.haml b/app/views/registrar/domains/form/_general.haml
index 56858a916..5fa4d2a89 100644
--- a/app/views/registrar/domains/form/_general.haml
+++ b/app/views/registrar/domains/form/_general.haml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         .col-md-7
           = check_box_tag 'domain[verified]', '1', @domain_params[:verified].eql?('1'), onclick: "return (confirm('#{t(:verified_confirm)}') ? true : false);"
 
-    - if !params[:domain_name] || @disputed
+    - if !params[:domain_name] || @dispute.present?
       .form-group
         .col-md-3.control-label
           = label_tag :domain_reserved_pw, t(:reserved_pw)