Index: redback-users/redback-authentication-users/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/redback/authentication/users/UserManagerAuthenticator.java
===================================================================
--- redback-users/redback-authentication-users/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/redback/authentication/users/UserManagerAuthenticator.java	(revision 484)
+++ redback-users/redback-authentication-users/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/redback/authentication/users/UserManagerAuthenticator.java	(working copy)
@@ -107,9 +107,14 @@
                 }
                 
                 authenticationSuccess = true;
-                user.setCountFailedLoginAttempts( 0 );
-                userManager.updateUser( user );
                 
+                //REDBACK-151 do not make unnessesary updates to the user object
+                if (user.getCountFailedLoginAttempts() > 0)
+                {
+                    user.setCountFailedLoginAttempts( 0 );
+                    userManager.updateUser( user );
+                }
+                
                 return new AuthenticationResult( true, source.getPrincipal(), null );
             }
             else