diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 49c7ea03c2..fe6ee5d759 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -1966,6 +1966,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     end
 
     if SiteSetting.enable_user_status
+      permitted << :status
       permitted << { status: [:emoji, :description, :ends_at] }
     end
 
diff --git a/app/services/user_updater.rb b/app/services/user_updater.rb
index 0083ff6955..72f934802f 100644
--- a/app/services/user_updater.rb
+++ b/app/services/user_updater.rb
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class UserUpdater
       end
 
       if SiteSetting.enable_user_status?
-        update_user_status(attributes[:status])
+        update_user_status(attributes[:status]) if attributes.has_key?(:status)
       end
 
       name_changed = user.name_changed?
diff --git a/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
index f9c70f3355..38dd9e189c 100644
--- a/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -2578,6 +2578,25 @@ RSpec.describe UsersController do
           expect(user1.user_status).not_to be_nil
         end
 
+        it "doesn't clear user status if it wasn't sent in the payload" do
+          new_status = {
+            emoji: "off to dentist",
+            description: "tooth",
+          }
+          user.set_status!(new_status[:description], new_status[:emoji])
+          user.reload
+
+          put "/u/#{user.username}.json", params: {
+            bio_raw: "new bio"
+          }
+          expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+          user.reload
+          expect(user.user_status).not_to be_nil
+          expect(user.user_status.emoji).to eq(new_status[:emoji])
+          expect(user.user_status.description).to eq(new_status[:description])
+        end
+
         context 'when user status is disabled' do
           before do
             SiteSetting.enable_user_status = false