diff --git a/templates/16_update.tpl b/templates/16_update.tpl
index 2732466..8b84989 100644
--- a/templates/16_update.tpl
+++ b/templates/16_update.tpl
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ func (o *{{$tableNameSingular}}) Update(exec boil.Executor, whitelist ... string
 
 	if !cached {
 		wl := strmangle.UpdateColumnSet({{$varNameSingular}}Columns, {{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns, whitelist)
+		if len(wl) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("{{.PkgName}}: unable to update {{.Table.Name}}, could not build whitelist")
+		}
 
 		cache.query = fmt.Sprintf("UPDATE {{$schemaTable}} SET %s WHERE %s",
 			strmangle.SetParamNames("{{.LQ}}", "{{.RQ}}", {{if .Dialect.IndexPlaceholders}}1{{else}}0{{end}}, wl),
@@ -63,10 +66,6 @@ func (o *{{$tableNameSingular}}) Update(exec boil.Executor, whitelist ... string
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(cache.valueMapping) == 0 {
-		return errors.New("{{.PkgName}}: unable to update {{.Table.Name}}, could not build whitelist")
-	}
-
 	values := queries.ValuesFromMapping(reflect.Indirect(reflect.ValueOf(o)), cache.valueMapping)
 
 	if boil.DebugMode {
diff --git a/templates/17_upsert.tpl b/templates/17_upsert.tpl
index 6710f13..84c1f70 100644
--- a/templates/17_upsert.tpl
+++ b/templates/17_upsert.tpl
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ func (o *{{$tableNameSingular}}) Upsert(exec boil.Executor, {{if ne .DriverName
 			{{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns,
 			updateColumns,
 		)
+		if len(update) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("{{.PkgName}}: unable to upsert {{.Table.Name}}, could not build update column list")
+		}
 
 		{{if ne .DriverName "mysql" -}}
 		var conflict []string
diff --git a/templates_test/singleton/boil_queries_test.tpl b/templates_test/singleton/boil_queries_test.tpl
index 90419be..bd41389 100644
--- a/templates_test/singleton/boil_queries_test.tpl
+++ b/templates_test/singleton/boil_queries_test.tpl
@@ -35,3 +35,4 @@ func (f *fKeyDestroyer) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
 
 	return f.buf.Read(b)
 }
+
diff --git a/templates_test/update.tpl b/templates_test/update.tpl
index 38aa71a..b33854d 100644
--- a/templates_test/update.tpl
+++ b/templates_test/update.tpl
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 func test{{$tableNamePlural}}Update(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
+	if len({{$varNameSingular}}Columns) == len({{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns) {
+		t.Skip("Skipping table with only primary key columns")
+	}
+
 	seed := randomize.NewSeed()
 	var err error
 	{{$varNameSingular}} := &{{$tableNameSingular}}{}
@@ -31,24 +35,18 @@ func test{{$tableNamePlural}}Update(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Unable to randomize {{$tableNameSingular}} struct: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	// If table only contains primary key columns, we need to pass
-	// them into a whitelist to get a valid test result,
-	// otherwise the Update method will error because it will not be able to
-	// generate a whitelist (due to it excluding primary key columns).
-	if strmangle.StringSliceMatch({{$varNameSingular}}Columns, {{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns) {
-		if err = {{$varNameSingular}}.Update(tx, {{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns...); err != nil {
-			t.Error(err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		if err = {{$varNameSingular}}.Update(tx); err != nil {
-			t.Error(err)
-		}
+	if err = {{$varNameSingular}}.Update(tx); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
 	}
 }
 
 func test{{$tableNamePlural}}SliceUpdateAll(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
+	if len({{$varNameSingular}}Columns) == len({{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns) {
+		t.Skip("Skipping table with only primary key columns")
+	}
+
 	seed := randomize.NewSeed()
 	var err error
 	{{$varNameSingular}} := &{{$tableNameSingular}}{}
diff --git a/templates_test/upsert.tpl b/templates_test/upsert.tpl
index 4f25b1d..f9c351e 100644
--- a/templates_test/upsert.tpl
+++ b/templates_test/upsert.tpl
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 func test{{$tableNamePlural}}Upsert(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
+	if len({{$varNameSingular}}Columns) == len({{$varNameSingular}}PrimaryKeyColumns) {
+		t.Skip("Skipping table with only primary key columns")
+	}
+
 	seed := randomize.NewSeed()
 	var err error
 	// Attempt the INSERT side of an UPSERT