diff --git a/swift/cli/ringbuilder.py b/swift/cli/ringbuilder.py
index 06ac83e3b4..882c484326 100644
--- a/swift/cli/ringbuilder.py
+++ b/swift/cli/ringbuilder.py
@@ -898,7 +898,9 @@ swift-ring-builder <builder_file> rebalance [options]
         min_part_seconds_left = builder.min_part_seconds_left
         try:
             last_balance = builder.get_balance()
+            last_dispersion = builder.dispersion
             parts, balance, removed_devs = builder.rebalance(seed=get_seed(3))
+            dispersion = builder.dispersion
         except exceptions.RingBuilderError as e:
             print('-' * 79)
             print("An error has occurred during ring validation. Common\n"
@@ -922,9 +924,25 @@ swift-ring-builder <builder_file> rebalance [options]
         # special value(MAX_BALANCE) until zero weighted device return all
         # its partitions. So we cannot check balance has changed.
         # Thus we need to check balance or last_balance is special value.
-        if not options.force and \
-                not devs_changed and abs(last_balance - balance) < 1 and \
-                not (last_balance == MAX_BALANCE and balance == MAX_BALANCE):
+        be_cowardly = True
+        if options.force:
+            # User said save it, so we save it.
+            be_cowardly = False
+        elif devs_changed:
+            # We must save if a device changed; this could be something like
+            # a changed IP address.
+            be_cowardly = False
+        else:
+            # If balance or dispersion changed (presumably improved), then
+            # we should save to get the improvement.
+            balance_changed = (
+                abs(last_balance - balance) >= 1 or
+                (last_balance == MAX_BALANCE and balance == MAX_BALANCE))
+            dispersion_changed = abs(last_dispersion - dispersion) >= 1
+            if balance_changed or dispersion_changed:
+                be_cowardly = False
+
+        if be_cowardly:
             print('Cowardly refusing to save rebalance as it did not change '
                   'at least 1%.')
             exit(EXIT_WARNING)
diff --git a/test/unit/cli/test_ringbuilder.py b/test/unit/cli/test_ringbuilder.py
index 65c096f181..3b40bb02ba 100644
--- a/test/unit/cli/test_ringbuilder.py
+++ b/test/unit/cli/test_ringbuilder.py
@@ -1916,7 +1916,102 @@ class TestCommands(unittest.TestCase, RunSwiftRingBuilderMixin):
         ring.save(self.tmpfile)
         # Test No change to the device
         argv = ["", self.tmpfile, "rebalance", "3"]
+        with mock.patch('swift.common.ring.RingBuilder.save') as mock_save:
+            self.assertSystemExit(EXIT_WARNING, ringbuilder.main, argv)
+        self.assertEqual(len(mock_save.calls), 0)
+
+    def test_rebalance_saves_dispersion_improvement(self):
+        # We set up a situation where dispersion improves but balance
+        # doesn't. We construct a ring with one zone, then add a second zone
+        # concurrently with a new device in the first zone. That first
+        # device won't acquire any partitions, so the ring's balance won't
+        # change. However, dispersion will improve.
+
+        ring = RingBuilder(6, 5, 1)
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sda'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdb'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdc'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdd'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sde'})
+        ring.rebalance()
+
+        # The last guy in zone 1
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 1,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.1', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdf'})
+
+        # Add zone 2 (same total weight as zone 1)
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sda'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdb'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdc'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdd'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sde'})
+        ring.add_dev({
+            'region': 1, 'zone': 2,
+            'ip': '10.0.0.2', 'port': 20001, 'weight': 1000,
+            'device': 'sdf'})
+        ring.pretend_min_part_hours_passed()
+        ring.save(self.tmpfile)
+        del ring
+
+        # Rebalance once: this gets 1/5 replica into zone 2; the ring is
+        # saved because devices changed.
+        argv = ["", self.tmpfile, "rebalance", "5759339"]
         self.assertSystemExit(EXIT_WARNING, ringbuilder.main, argv)
+        rb = RingBuilder.load(self.tmpfile)
+        self.assertEqual(rb.dispersion, 100)
+        self.assertEqual(rb.get_balance(), 100)
+        self.run_srb('pretend_min_part_hours_passed')
+
+        # Rebalance again: this gets 2/5 replica into zone 2, but no devices
+        # changed and the balance stays the same. The only improvement is
+        # dispersion.
+
+        captured = {}
+
+        def capture_save(rb, path):
+            captured['dispersion'] = rb.dispersion
+            captured['balance'] = rb.get_balance()
+        # The warning is benign; it's just telling the user to keep on
+        # rebalancing. The important assertion is that the builder was
+        # saved.
+        with mock.patch('swift.common.ring.RingBuilder.save', capture_save):
+            self.assertSystemExit(EXIT_WARNING, ringbuilder.main, argv)
+        self.assertEqual(captured, {
+            'dispersion': 0,
+            'balance': 100,
+        })
 
     def test_rebalance_no_devices(self):
         # Test no devices