diff --git a/mocks/mocks.go b/mocks/mocks.go
index 5aad44413..da384972b 100644
--- a/mocks/mocks.go
+++ b/mocks/mocks.go
@@ -113,8 +113,11 @@ func (sa *StorageAuthority) GetRegistrationByKey(_ context.Context, jwk jose.Jso
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	contactURL, _ := core.ParseAcmeURL("mailto:person@mail.com")
+	contacts := []*core.AcmeURL{contactURL}
+
 	if core.KeyDigestEquals(jwk, test1KeyPublic) {
-		return core.Registration{ID: 1, Key: jwk, Agreement: agreementURL}, nil
+		return core.Registration{ID: 1, Key: jwk, Agreement: agreementURL, Contact: &contacts}, nil
 	}
 
 	if core.KeyDigestEquals(jwk, test2KeyPublic) {
diff --git a/wfe/wfe.go b/wfe/wfe.go
index 90b961aae..d97169e2e 100644
--- a/wfe/wfe.go
+++ b/wfe/wfe.go
@@ -1116,20 +1116,11 @@ func (wfe *WebFrontEndImpl) Registration(ctx context.Context, logEvent *requestE
 	// serialize the update as JSON to send via AMQP to the RA.
 	update.Key = currReg.Key
 
-	// If the registration doesn't have an agreement set, or any contacts (e.g. it
-	// is the trivial update `{"resource":"reg"}` then do not send it to the RA
-	// for update, there is nothing to save/update.
-	var updatedReg core.Registration
-	if len(update.Agreement) > 0 || update.Contact != nil {
-		// Ask the RA to update this authorization.
-		updatedReg, err = wfe.RA.UpdateRegistration(ctx, currReg, update)
-		if err != nil {
-			logEvent.AddError("unable to update registration: %s", err)
-			wfe.sendError(response, logEvent, core.ProblemDetailsForError(err, "Unable to update registration"), err)
-			return
-		}
-	} else {
-		updatedReg = update // Return the empty update as-is
+	updatedReg, err := wfe.RA.UpdateRegistration(ctx, currReg, update)
+	if err != nil {
+		logEvent.AddError("unable to update registration: %s", err)
+		wfe.sendError(response, logEvent, core.ProblemDetailsForError(err, "Unable to update registration"), err)
+		return
 	}
 
 	jsonReply, err := marshalIndent(updatedReg)
diff --git a/wfe/wfe_test.go b/wfe/wfe_test.go
index 85e224e65..49818d230 100644
--- a/wfe/wfe_test.go
+++ b/wfe/wfe_test.go
@@ -901,42 +901,19 @@ func TestNewECDSARegistration(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertEquals(t, responseWriter.Code, 409)
 }
 
-type FailureRegistrationAuthority struct{}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) NewRegistration(ctx context.Context, reg core.Registration) (core.Registration, error) {
-	return core.Registration{}, fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) NewAuthorization(ctx context.Context, authz core.Authorization, regID int64) (core.Authorization, error) {
-	return core.Authorization{}, fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) NewCertificate(ctx context.Context, req core.CertificateRequest, regID int64) (core.Certificate, error) {
-	return core.Certificate{}, fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) UpdateRegistration(ctx context.Context, reg core.Registration, updated core.Registration) (core.Registration, error) {
-	return core.Registration{}, fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) UpdateAuthorization(ctx context.Context, authz core.Authorization, foo int, challenge core.Challenge) (core.Authorization, error) {
-	return core.Authorization{}, fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) RevokeCertificateWithReg(ctx context.Context, cert x509.Certificate, reason core.RevocationCode, reg int64) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
-func (ra *FailureRegistrationAuthority) AdministrativelyRevokeCertificate(ctx context.Context, cert x509.Certificate, reason core.RevocationCode, user string) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("FailureRegistrationAuthority failed by design")
-}
-
+// Test that the WFE handling of the "empty update" POST is correct. The ACME
+// spec describes how when clients wish to query the server for information
+// about a registration an empty registration update should be sent, and
+// a populated reg object will be returned.
 func TestEmptyRegistration(t *testing.T) {
 	wfe, _ := setupWFE(t)
 	_, err := wfe.Handler()
 	test.AssertNotError(t, err, "Problem setting up HTTP handlers")
 	responseWriter := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
+	// Test Key 1 is mocked in the mock StorageAuthority used in setupWFE to
+	// return a populated registration for GetRegistrationByKey when test key 1 is
+	// used.
 	key, err := jose.LoadPrivateKey([]byte(test1KeyPrivatePEM))
 	test.AssertNotError(t, err, "Failed to load key")
 	rsaKey, ok := key.(*rsa.PrivateKey)
@@ -945,12 +922,6 @@ func TestEmptyRegistration(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertNotError(t, err, "Failed to make signer")
 	signer.SetNonceSource(wfe.nonceService)
 
-	// Use the FailureRegistrationAuthority to ensure that if any method of the RA
-	// is invoked for this Registration post that the test fails. We explicitly
-	// want to test that the WFE returns for empty reg updates without consulting
-	// the RA or SA.
-	wfe.RA = &FailureRegistrationAuthority{}
-
 	emptyReg := `{"resource":"reg"}`
 	emptyBody, err := signer.Sign([]byte(emptyReg))
 	test.AssertNotError(t, err, "Unable to sign emptyBody")
@@ -962,11 +933,16 @@ func TestEmptyRegistration(t *testing.T) {
 		responseWriter,
 		makePostRequestWithPath("1", emptyBody.FullSerialize()))
 
-	// There should be no error, particularly from the FailureRegistrationAuthority
+	// There should be no error
 	test.AssertNotContains(t, responseWriter.Body.String(), "urn:acme:error")
-	// There shouldn't be a Contact or Agreement in the response
-	test.AssertNotContains(t, responseWriter.Body.String(), "Contact")
-	test.AssertNotContains(t, responseWriter.Body.String(), "Agreement")
+
+	// We should get back a populated Registration
+	var reg core.Registration
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(responseWriter.Body.String()), &reg)
+	test.AssertNotError(t, err, "Couldn't unmarshal returned registration object")
+	test.Assert(t, len(*reg.Contact) >= 1, "No contact field in registration")
+	test.AssertEquals(t, (*reg.Contact)[0].String(), "mailto:person@mail.com")
+	test.AssertEquals(t, reg.Agreement, "http://example.invalid/terms")
 	responseWriter.Body.Reset()
 }