diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/account.js b/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
index 4c16a34a4..4c52347f5 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/account.js
@@ -19,10 +19,9 @@ export default class AccountModel extends GeneratedAccountModel {
    * @param {object} options.adapterOptions
    * @return {Promise}
    */
-  savePassword(password, options={ adapterOptions: {} }) {
+  setPassword(password, options={ adapterOptions: {} }) {
     const defaultAdapterOptions = {
       method: 'set-password',
-      serializeWithNewPassword: true,
       password
     };
     return this.save({
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/serializers/account.js b/addons/api/addon/serializers/account.js
index acad9cb7e..c014c2361 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/serializers/account.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/serializers/account.js
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import ApplicationSerializer from './application';
-import { get } from '@ember/object';
 
 export default class AccountSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
 
   // =methods
 
   /**
-   * If `adapterOptions.serializeWithNewPassword` is true, the serialization should
-   * include **password** and the version.
+   * If `adapterOptions.method` is `set-password`, the serialization should
+   * include only **password** and the version.
    * If `adapterOptions.password` is set, the serialization should
    * include **password** in it's `attributes`.
    * @override
@@ -15,11 +14,12 @@ export default class AccountSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
    * @return {object}
    */
   serialize(snapshot) {
-    const password = get(snapshot, 'adapterOptions.password');
-    const serializeWithNewPassword = get(snapshot, 'adapterOptions.serializeWithNewPassword');
+    const password = snapshot?.adapterOptions?.password;
     let serialized = super.serialize(...arguments);
-    if (password) serialized.attributes.password = password;
-    if (serializeWithNewPassword) serialized = this.serializeWithNewPassword(snapshot, password)
+    if (password && snapshot?.record?.isNew) serialized.attributes.password = password;
+    if (snapshot?.adapterOptions?.method === 'set-password') {
+      serialized = this.serializeForSetPassword(snapshot, password);
+    }
     return serialized;
   }
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export default class AccountSerializer extends ApplicationSerializer {
    * @param {string} password
    * @return {object}
    */
-  serializeWithNewPassword(snapshot, password) {
+  serializeForSetPassword(snapshot, password) {
     return {
       version: snapshot.attr('version'),
       password,
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/account-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/account-test.js
index 7a523d9dd..85f9b655f 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/account-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/account-test.js
@@ -65,7 +65,11 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | account', function(hooks) {
     });
   });
 
-  test('it serializes only password when `adapterOptions.serializeWithNewPassword` is true', function (assert) {
+  test('it does not serialize password for non-new records', function (assert) {
+    assert.expect(0);
+  });
+
+  test('it serializes only password when `adapterOptions.method` is set to `set-password`', function (assert) {
     assert.expect(1);
     const store = this.owner.lookup('service:store');
     const serializer = store.serializerFor('account');
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | account', function(hooks) {
     });
     const snapshot = record._createSnapshot();
     snapshot.adapterOptions = {
-      serializeWithNewPassword: true,
+      method: 'set-password',
       password: 'Password'
     };
     const serializedRecord = serializer.serialize(snapshot);