diff --git a/spec/CloudCode.spec.js b/spec/CloudCode.spec.js
index faaa6b826a..4df3c90275 100644
--- a/spec/CloudCode.spec.js
+++ b/spec/CloudCode.spec.js
@@ -1598,6 +1598,32 @@ describe('Cloud Code', () => {
     expect(obj.get('count')).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it('pointer should not be cleared by triggers', async () => {
+    Parse.Cloud.afterSave('MyObject', () => {});
+    const foo = await new Parse.Object('Test', { foo: 'bar' }).save();
+    const obj = await new Parse.Object('MyObject', { foo }).save();
+    const foo2 = obj.get('foo');
+    expect(foo2.get('foo')).toBe('bar');
+  });
+
+  it('can set a pointer in triggers', async () => {
+    Parse.Cloud.beforeSave('MyObject', () => {});
+    Parse.Cloud.afterSave(
+      'MyObject',
+      async ({ object }) => {
+        const foo = await new Parse.Object('Test', { foo: 'bar' }).save();
+        object.set({ foo });
+        await object.save(null, { useMasterKey: true });
+      },
+      {
+        skipWithMasterKey: true,
+      }
+    );
+    const obj = await new Parse.Object('MyObject').save();
+    const foo2 = obj.get('foo');
+    expect(foo2.get('foo')).toBe('bar');
+  });
+
   it('beforeSave should not sanitize database', async done => {
     const { adapter } = Config.get(Parse.applicationId).database;
     const spy = spyOn(adapter, 'findOneAndUpdate').and.callThrough();
diff --git a/spec/RestQuery.spec.js b/spec/RestQuery.spec.js
index c8e3adb49d..deac233915 100644
--- a/spec/RestQuery.spec.js
+++ b/spec/RestQuery.spec.js
@@ -429,4 +429,26 @@ describe('RestQuery.each', () => {
       done();
     });
   });
+
+  it('test afterSave should not affect save response', async () => {
+    Parse.Cloud.beforeSave('TestObject2', ({ object }) => {
+      object.set('addedBeforeSave', true);
+    });
+    Parse.Cloud.afterSave('TestObject2', ({ object }) => {
+      object.set('addedAfterSave', true);
+      object.unset('initialToRemove');
+    });
+    const { response } = await rest.create(config, nobody, 'TestObject2', {
+      initialSave: true,
+      initialToRemove: true,
+    });
+    expect(Object.keys(response).sort()).toEqual([
+      'addedAfterSave',
+      'addedBeforeSave',
+      'createdAt',
+      'initialToRemove',
+      'objectId',
+      'updatedAt',
+    ]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/Controllers/SchemaController.js b/src/Controllers/SchemaController.js
index 9ae6628088..1d857b47fd 100644
--- a/src/Controllers/SchemaController.js
+++ b/src/Controllers/SchemaController.js
@@ -150,9 +150,15 @@ const defaultColumns: { [string]: SchemaFields } = Object.freeze({
   },
 });
 
+// fields required for read or write operations on their respective classes.
 const requiredColumns = Object.freeze({
-  _Product: ['productIdentifier', 'icon', 'order', 'title', 'subtitle'],
-  _Role: ['name', 'ACL'],
+  read: {
+    _User: ['username'],
+  },
+  write: {
+    _Product: ['productIdentifier', 'icon', 'order', 'title', 'subtitle'],
+    _Role: ['name', 'ACL'],
+  }
 });
 
 const invalidColumns = ['length'];
@@ -1269,7 +1275,7 @@ export default class SchemaController {
 
   // Validates that all the properties are set for the object
   validateRequiredColumns(className: string, object: any, query: any) {
-    const columns = requiredColumns[className];
+    const columns = requiredColumns.write[className];
     if (!columns || columns.length == 0) {
       return Promise.resolve(this);
     }
@@ -1600,4 +1606,5 @@ export {
   convertSchemaToAdapterSchema,
   VolatileClassesSchemas,
   SchemaController,
+  requiredColumns,
 };
diff --git a/src/RestWrite.js b/src/RestWrite.js
index 3e20328a9a..0b9bf2a8d4 100644
--- a/src/RestWrite.js
+++ b/src/RestWrite.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ var ClientSDK = require('./ClientSDK');
 import RestQuery from './RestQuery';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import logger from './logger';
+import { requiredColumns } from './Controllers/SchemaController';
 
 // query and data are both provided in REST API format. So data
 // types are encoded by plain old objects.
@@ -1556,7 +1557,7 @@ RestWrite.prototype.runAfterSaveTrigger = function () {
         this.response.response = result;
       } else {
         this.response.response = this._updateResponseWithData(
-          (result || updatedObject)._toFullJSON(),
+          (result || updatedObject).toJSON(),
           this.data
         );
       }
@@ -1665,6 +1666,21 @@ RestWrite.prototype._updateResponseWithData = function (response, data) {
       this.storage.fieldsChangedByTrigger.push(key);
     }
   }
+  const skipKeys = [
+    'objectId',
+    'createdAt',
+    'updatedAt',
+    ...(requiredColumns.read[this.className] || []),
+  ];
+  for (const key in response) {
+    if (skipKeys.includes(key)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    const value = response[key];
+    if (value == null || (value.__type && value.__type === 'Pointer') || data[key] === value) {
+      delete response[key];
+    }
+  }
   if (_.isEmpty(this.storage.fieldsChangedByTrigger)) {
     return response;
   }