diff --git a/src/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php b/src/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
index 573ffa4dc15..59315d8ea00 100644
--- a/src/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
+++ b/src/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
@@ -283,7 +283,10 @@ public function beforeSave(Event $event, EntityInterface $entity, ArrayObject $o
         $fields = array_keys($values);
         $noFields = empty($fields);
 
-        if ($noFields && $noBundled) {
+        // If there are no fields and no bundled translations, or both fields
+        // in the default locale and bundled translations we can
+        // skip the remaining logic as its not necessary.
+        if ($noFields && $noBundled || ($fields && $bundled)) {
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php b/tests/TestCase/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
index 4c4b012fa2a..ae2a7e5ea37 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/ORM/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
@@ -1257,6 +1257,66 @@ public function testSaveExistingRecordWithTranslatesField()
         $this->assertEquals('Description #1', $results['eng']['description']);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests that default locale saves ok.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testSaveDefaultLocale()
+    {
+        $table = TableRegistry::get('Articles');
+        $table->hasMany('Comments');
+        $table->addBehavior('Translate', ['fields' => ['title', 'body']]);
+
+        $article = $table->get(1);
+        $data = [
+            'title' => 'New title',
+            'body' => 'New body',
+        ];
+        $article = $table->patchEntity($article, $data);
+        $table->save($article);
+        $this->assertNull($article->get('_i18n'));
+
+        $article = $table->get(1);
+        $this->assertEquals('New title', $article->get('title'));
+        $this->assertEquals('New body', $article->get('body'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Tests that translations are added to the whitelist of associations to be
+     * saved
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testSaveTranslationDefaultLocale()
+    {
+        $table = TableRegistry::get('Articles');
+        $table->hasMany('Comments');
+        $table->addBehavior('Translate', ['fields' => ['title', 'body']]);
+
+        $article = $table->get(1);
+        $data = [
+            'title' => 'New title',
+            'body' => 'New body',
+            '_translations' => [
+                'es' => [
+                    'title' => 'ES title',
+                    'body' => 'ES body'
+                ]
+            ]
+        ];
+        $article = $table->patchEntity($article, $data);
+        $table->save($article);
+        $this->assertNull($article->get('_i18n'));
+
+        $article = $table->find('translations')->where(['id' => 1])->first();
+        $this->assertEquals('New title', $article->get('title'));
+        $this->assertEquals('New body', $article->get('body'));
+
+        $this->assertEquals('ES title', $article->_translations['es']->title);
+        $this->assertEquals('ES body', $article->_translations['es']->body);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test that no properties are enabled when the translations
      * option is off.