diff --git a/applications/test/PtrList/Test-PtrList.C b/applications/test/PtrList/Test-PtrList.C
index e76ee21e092525147572d103a76046d380c5fd65..70e8ce184ccd3c30cf885eff553f65d38336e1c3 100644
--- a/applications/test/PtrList/Test-PtrList.C
+++ b/applications/test/PtrList/Test-PtrList.C
@@ -328,6 +328,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             <<"addresses:" << nl;
         printAddr(Info, list1);
         printAddr(Info, list1a);
+        Info<<"values:" << nl;
+        print(Info, list1a);
+
+        // This should not cause problems (ie, no deletion)
+        {
+            auto* ptr = &(list1a.first());
+            list1a.set(0, ptr);
+            Info<<"values:" << nl;
+            print(Info, list1a);
+        }
+
 
         PtrList<Scalar> list1b(list1a, true);
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/PtrList/PtrList.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/PtrList/PtrList.H
index 291fc65ff300a078226b5e1a0bf71eb9ca6c73a1..d1296de3f2d8c706ea57760b0b860e31da08a037 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/PtrList/PtrList.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/PtrList/PtrList.H
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ public:
         inline bool set(const label i) const;
 
         //- Set element to given pointer and return old element (can be null)
+        //  No-op if the new pointer value is identical to the current content.
         inline autoPtr<T> set(label i, T* ptr);
 
         //- Set element to given autoPtr and return old element
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrList.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrList.H
index f778c850f924f66266fa18d17f428f82ab11c8e2..99664df337047fb149ea873922d8d80584119de1 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrList.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrList.H
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ public:
 
         //- Set element to specified pointer and return the old list element,
         //- which can be a nullptr.
-        //  No checks on new element
+        //  No-op if the new pointer value is identical to the current content.
         inline T* set(const label i, T* ptr);
 
         //- Reorder elements. Reordering must be unique (ie, shuffle).
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrListI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrListI.H
index d416564a3b4fec75c30f276b0d9c8ae6fbe346ea..6045c8ab3b3776a62c242aee103343bd6ea865b2 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrListI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/PtrLists/UPtrList/UPtrListI.H
@@ -180,6 +180,10 @@ template<class T>
 inline T* Foam::UPtrList<T>::set(const label i, T* ptr)
 {
     T* old = ptrs_[i];
+    if (old == ptr)
+    {
+        return nullptr;  // Content did not change
+    }
     ptrs_[i] = ptr;
     return old;
 }