diff --git a/admin/category.php b/admin/category.php
index 0a803940335..c87022bbeba 100644
--- a/admin/category.php
+++ b/admin/category.php
@@ -54,14 +54,16 @@ $statusmsg = '';
 $errormsg  = '';
 
 if ($data = data_submitted() and confirm_sesskey()) {
-    if (admin_write_settings($data)) {
-        $statusmsg = get_string('changessaved');
-    }
-
+    $count = admin_write_settings($data);
     if (empty($adminroot->errors)) {
-        switch ($return) {
-            case 'site': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/");
-            case 'admin': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/$CFG->admin/");
+        // No errors. Did we change any setting?  If so, then indicate success.
+        if ($count) {
+            $statusmsg = get_string('changessaved');
+        } else {
+            switch ($return) {
+                case 'site': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/");
+                case 'admin': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/$CFG->admin/");
+            }
         }
     } else {
         $errormsg = get_string('errorwithsettings', 'admin');
diff --git a/admin/search.php b/admin/search.php
index dfb60433cd8..55395171b53 100644
--- a/admin/search.php
+++ b/admin/search.php
@@ -32,15 +32,16 @@ $focus = '';
 // now we'll deal with the case that the admin has submitted the form with changed settings
 if ($data = data_submitted() and confirm_sesskey() and isset($data->action) and $data->action == 'save-settings') {
     require_capability('moodle/site:config', $context);
-    if (admin_write_settings($data)) {
-        redirect($PAGE->url, get_string('changessaved'), null, \core\output\notification::NOTIFY_SUCCESS);
-    }
-
+    $count = admin_write_settings($data);
     if (!empty($adminroot->errors)) {
         $errormsg = get_string('errorwithsettings', 'admin');
         $firsterror = reset($adminroot->errors);
         $focus = $firsterror->id;
     } else {
+        // No errors. Did we change any setting? If so, then redirect with success.
+        if ($count) {
+            redirect($PAGE->url, get_string('changessaved'), null, \core\output\notification::NOTIFY_SUCCESS);
+        }
         redirect($PAGE->url);
     }
 }
diff --git a/admin/settings.php b/admin/settings.php
index 72f7f9cbe2a..629224029fa 100644
--- a/admin/settings.php
+++ b/admin/settings.php
@@ -39,11 +39,15 @@ $statusmsg = '';
 $errormsg  = '';
 
 if ($data = data_submitted() and confirm_sesskey()) {
-    if (admin_write_settings($data)) {
-        redirect($PAGE->url, get_string('changessaved'), null, \core\output\notification::NOTIFY_SUCCESS);
-    }
 
+    $count = admin_write_settings($data);
+    // Regardless of whether any setting change was written (a positive count), check validation errors for those that didn't.
     if (empty($adminroot->errors)) {
+        // No errors. Did we change any setting? If so, then redirect with success.
+        if ($count) {
+            redirect($PAGE->url, get_string('changessaved'), null, \core\output\notification::NOTIFY_SUCCESS);
+        }
+        // We didn't change a setting.
         switch ($return) {
             case 'site': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/");
             case 'admin': redirect("$CFG->wwwroot/$CFG->admin/");