Index: oak-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/AsyncIndexUpdate.java
===================================================================
--- oak-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/AsyncIndexUpdate.java	(revision 1777538)
+++ oak-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/AsyncIndexUpdate.java	(working copy)
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@
                 beforeCheckpoint = null;
                 callback.setCheckpoint(beforeCheckpoint);
                 before = MISSING_NODE;
-            } else if (noVisibleChanges(state, root)) {
+            } else if (noVisibleChanges(state, root) && !switchOnSync) {
                 log.debug(
                         "[{}] No changes since last checkpoint; skipping the index update",
                         name);
@@ -611,11 +611,11 @@
     }
 
     void cleanUpCheckpoints() {
-        log.debug("Cleaning up orphaned checkpoints");
+        log.debug("[{}] Cleaning up orphaned checkpoints", name);
         Set<String> keep = newHashSet();
         String cp = indexStats.getReferenceCheckpoint();
         if (cp == null) {
-            log.warn("No reference checkpoint set in index stats");
+            log.warn("[{}] No reference checkpoint set in index stats", name);
             return;
         }
         keep.add(cp);
@@ -639,8 +639,8 @@
                         && AsyncIndexUpdate.class.getSimpleName().equals(creator)
                         && (created == null || ISO8601.parse(created).getTimeInMillis() + leaseTimeOut < current)) {
                     if (store.release(checkpoint)) {
-                        log.info("Removed orphaned checkpoint '{}' {}",
-                                checkpoint, info);
+                        log.info("[{}] Removed orphaned checkpoint '{}' {}",
+                                name, checkpoint, info);
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -713,6 +713,12 @@
                         }
                     }
                     reindexedDefinitions.clear();
+                    if (store.release(afterCheckpoint)) {
+                        builder.child(ASYNC).removeProperty(name);
+                        builder.child(ASYNC).removeProperty(lastIndexedTo);
+                    } else {
+                        log.debug("[{}] Unable to release checkpoint {}", name, afterCheckpoint);
+                    }
                 }
                 updatePostRunStatus = true;
             }
Index: oak-core/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/property/AsyncPropertyIndexTest.java
===================================================================
--- oak-core/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/property/AsyncPropertyIndexTest.java	(revision 1777538)
+++ oak-core/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/plugins/index/property/AsyncPropertyIndexTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 package org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.property;
 
 import static com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet.of;
-import static org.apache.jackrabbit.JcrConstants.JCR_SYSTEM;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.JcrConstants.NT_BASE;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.api.Type.STRINGS;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.IndexConstants.ASYNC_PROPERTY_NAME;
@@ -25,10 +24,10 @@
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.IndexConstants.INDEX_DEFINITIONS_NAME;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.IndexConstants.REINDEX_ASYNC_PROPERTY_NAME;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.IndexUtils.createIndexDefinition;
-import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.nodetype.NodeTypeConstants.JCR_NODE_TYPES;
 import static org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.spi.commit.CommitInfo.EMPTY;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
+import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 
 /**
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     @Test
     public void testAsyncPropertyLookup() throws Exception {
         NodeStore store = new MemoryNodeStore();
+        assertTrue(Iterables.isEmpty(store.checkpoints()));
 
         NodeBuilder builder = store.getRoot().builder();
 
@@ -101,8 +102,10 @@
 
         // run async second time, there are no changes, should switch to sync
         async.run();
+        async.close();
         assertEquals(null, store.getRoot().getChildNode(INDEX_DEFINITIONS_NAME)
                 .getChildNode("foo").getString(ASYNC_PROPERTY_NAME));
+        assertTrue(Iterables.isEmpty(store.checkpoints()));
 
         // add content, it should be indexed synchronously
         builder = store.getRoot().builder();
@@ -127,4 +130,15 @@
                 : PropertyValues.newString(value)));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testAsyncPropertyNoChanges() throws Exception {
+        NodeStore store = new MemoryNodeStore();
+        assertTrue(Iterables.isEmpty(store.checkpoints()));
+        AsyncIndexUpdate async = new AsyncIndexUpdate(ASYNC_REINDEX_VALUE,
+                store, provider, true);
+        async.run();
+        async.run();
+        async.close();
+        assertTrue(Iterables.isEmpty(store.checkpoints()));
+    }
 }