diff --git a/ovsdb/execution.c b/ovsdb/execution.c
index 3a0dad5d0..f6150e944 100644
--- a/ovsdb/execution.c
+++ b/ovsdb/execution.c
@@ -483,8 +483,9 @@ update_row_cb(const struct ovsdb_row *row, void *ur_)
 
     ur->n_matches++;
     if (!ovsdb_row_equal_columns(row, ur->row, ur->columns)) {
-        ovsdb_row_update_columns(ovsdb_txn_row_modify(ur->txn, row),
-                                 ur->row, ur->columns);
+        ovsdb_error_assert(ovsdb_row_update_columns(
+                               ovsdb_txn_row_modify(ur->txn, row),
+                               ur->row, ur->columns, false));
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/ovsdb/replication.c b/ovsdb/replication.c
index b755976b0..d8b56d813 100644
--- a/ovsdb/replication.c
+++ b/ovsdb/replication.c
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ process_table_update(struct json *table_update, const char *table_name,
         struct ovsdb_error *error;
         error = (!new ? ovsdb_table_execute_delete(txn, &uuid, table)
                  : !old ? ovsdb_table_execute_insert(txn, &uuid, table, new)
-                 : ovsdb_table_execute_update(txn, &uuid, table, new));
+                 : ovsdb_table_execute_update(txn, &uuid, table, new, false));
         if (error) {
             if (!strcmp(ovsdb_error_get_tag(error), "consistency violation")) {
                 ovsdb_error_assert(error);
diff --git a/ovsdb/row.c b/ovsdb/row.c
index 755ab91a8..65a054621 100644
--- a/ovsdb/row.c
+++ b/ovsdb/row.c
@@ -163,20 +163,40 @@ ovsdb_row_equal_columns(const struct ovsdb_row *a,
     return true;
 }
 
-void
+struct ovsdb_error *
 ovsdb_row_update_columns(struct ovsdb_row *dst,
                          const struct ovsdb_row *src,
-                         const struct ovsdb_column_set *columns)
+                         const struct ovsdb_column_set *columns,
+                         bool xor)
 {
     size_t i;
 
     for (i = 0; i < columns->n_columns; i++) {
         const struct ovsdb_column *column = columns->columns[i];
+        struct ovsdb_datum xor_datum;
+        struct ovsdb_error *error;
+
+        if (xor) {
+            error = ovsdb_datum_apply_diff(&xor_datum,
+                                           &dst->fields[column->index],
+                                           &src->fields[column->index],
+                                           &column->type);
+            if (error) {
+                return error;
+            }
+        }
+
         ovsdb_datum_destroy(&dst->fields[column->index], &column->type);
-        ovsdb_datum_clone(&dst->fields[column->index],
-                          &src->fields[column->index],
-                          &column->type);
+
+        if (xor) {
+            ovsdb_datum_swap(&dst->fields[column->index], &xor_datum);
+        } else {
+            ovsdb_datum_clone(&dst->fields[column->index],
+                              &src->fields[column->index],
+                              &column->type);
+        }
     }
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 /* Appends the string form of the value in 'row' of each of the columns in
diff --git a/ovsdb/row.h b/ovsdb/row.h
index 2c441b5a4..394ac8eb4 100644
--- a/ovsdb/row.h
+++ b/ovsdb/row.h
@@ -82,8 +82,10 @@ bool ovsdb_row_equal_columns(const struct ovsdb_row *,
 int ovsdb_row_compare_columns_3way(const struct ovsdb_row *,
                                    const struct ovsdb_row *,
                                    const struct ovsdb_column_set *);
-void ovsdb_row_update_columns(struct ovsdb_row *, const struct ovsdb_row *,
-                              const struct ovsdb_column_set *);
+struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_row_update_columns(struct ovsdb_row *,
+                                             const struct ovsdb_row *,
+                                             const struct ovsdb_column_set *,
+                                             bool xor);
 void ovsdb_row_columns_to_string(const struct ovsdb_row *,
                                  const struct ovsdb_column_set *, struct ds *);
 struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_row_from_json(struct ovsdb_row *,
diff --git a/ovsdb/table.c b/ovsdb/table.c
index 2935bd897..455a3663f 100644
--- a/ovsdb/table.c
+++ b/ovsdb/table.c
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@ ovsdb_table_execute_delete(struct ovsdb_txn *txn, const struct uuid *row_uuid,
 
 struct ovsdb_error *
 ovsdb_table_execute_update(struct ovsdb_txn *txn, const struct uuid *row_uuid,
-                           struct ovsdb_table *table, struct json *json_row)
+                           struct ovsdb_table *table, struct json *json_row,
+                           bool xor)
 {
     const struct ovsdb_row *row = ovsdb_table_get_row(table, row_uuid);
     if (!row) {
@@ -399,9 +400,9 @@ ovsdb_table_execute_update(struct ovsdb_txn *txn, const struct uuid *row_uuid,
     struct ovsdb_error *error = ovsdb_row_from_json(update, json_row,
                                                     NULL, &columns);
 
-    if (!error && !ovsdb_row_equal_columns(row, update, &columns)) {
-        ovsdb_row_update_columns(ovsdb_txn_row_modify(txn, row),
-                                 update, &columns);
+    if (!error && (xor || !ovsdb_row_equal_columns(row, update, &columns))) {
+        error = ovsdb_row_update_columns(ovsdb_txn_row_modify(txn, row),
+                                         update, &columns, xor);
     }
 
     ovsdb_column_set_destroy(&columns);
diff --git a/ovsdb/table.h b/ovsdb/table.h
index e21ec7b31..ce69a5d13 100644
--- a/ovsdb/table.h
+++ b/ovsdb/table.h
@@ -82,6 +82,6 @@ struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_table_execute_delete(struct ovsdb_txn *txn,
 struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_table_execute_update(struct ovsdb_txn *txn,
                                                const struct uuid *row_uuid,
                                                struct ovsdb_table *table,
-                                               struct json *new);
+                                               struct json *new, bool xor);
 
 #endif /* ovsdb/table.h */