diff --git a/addons/api/addon/adapters/application.js b/addons/api/addon/adapters/application.js
index 3fb95fda9..71c109cb0 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/adapters/application.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/adapters/application.js
@@ -18,4 +18,23 @@ export default class ApplicationAdapter extends RESTAdapter {
    * @type {string}
    */
   namespace = get(config, 'api.namespace');
+
+  // =methods
+
+  /**
+   * Overrides default ajax method by rewritting PUT requests as PATCH.
+   * PATCH is the request method used by our API for updates.
+   *
+   * @override
+   * @method ajax
+   * @private
+   * @param {String} url
+   * @param {String} type The request type GET, POST, PUT, DELETE etc.
+   * @param {Object} options
+   * @return {Promise} promise
+   */
+  ajax(url, type, options) {
+    const method = type === 'PUT' ? 'PATCH' : type;
+    return super.ajax(url, method, options);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/models/base.js b/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
index d8d0d004d..389327972 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/models/base.js
@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
 import Model from '@ember-data/model';
+import { computed } from '@ember/object';
 
-export default class BaseModel extends Model {}
+export default class BaseModel extends Model {
+  // =attributes
+
+  /**
+   * @type {boolean}
+   */
+  @computed('hasDirtyAttributes', 'isSaving')
+  get canSave() {
+    return this.hasDirtyAttributes && !this.isSaving;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @type {boolean}
+   */
+  @computed('canSave')
+  get cannotSave() {
+    return !this.canSave;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js b/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
index 92237e8f8..3ad83956e 100644
--- a/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
+++ b/addons/api/addon/serializers/application.js
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ export default class ApplicationSerializer extends RESTSerializer {
   /**
    * If an attribute is annotated as readOnly in the model, don't serialize it.
    * Otherwise delegate to default attribute serializer.
+   *
+   * @override
    * @method serializeAttribute
    * @param {Snapshot} snapshot
    * @param {Object} json
@@ -30,6 +32,23 @@ export default class ApplicationSerializer extends RESTSerializer {
     return options.readOnly ? null : super.serializeAttribute(...arguments);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * In our API, request payloads are unrooted.  But Ember Data roots request
+   * payloads for this adapter by default.  Instead of assigned a root key
+   * on the outgoing hash, we copy the serialized attributes into it.
+   *
+   * @override
+   * @method serializeIntoHash
+   * @param {Object} hash
+   * @param {Model} typeClass
+   * @param {Snapshot} snapshot
+   * @param {Object} options
+   */
+  serializeIntoHash(hash, typeClass, snapshot, options) {
+    const serialized = this.serialize(snapshot, options);
+    Object.assign(hash, serialized);
+  }
+
   /**
    * In our API, array payloads are always rooted under the same key `items`.
    * Ember Data normally expects them to be rooted under their model name,
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/adapters/application-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/adapters/application-test.js
index 16d34c9b1..5d07e1ccf 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/adapters/application-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/adapters/application-test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { module, test } from 'qunit';
 import { setupTest } from 'ember-qunit';
 import config from 'ember-get-config';
+import RESTAdapter from '@ember-data/adapter/rest';
 
 module('Unit | Adapter | application', function (hooks) {
   setupTest(hooks);
@@ -17,4 +18,14 @@ module('Unit | Adapter | application', function (hooks) {
     const adapter = this.owner.lookup('adapter:application');
     assert.equal(adapter.urlPrefix(), config.api.namespace);
   });
+
+  test('it rewrites PUT to PATCH, but leaves others unchanged', function (assert) {
+    assert.expect(1);
+    const adapter = this.owner.lookup('adapter:application');
+    // TODO this is icky, should be changed to a spy or stub
+    RESTAdapter.prototype.ajax = (url, type) => {
+      assert.equal(type, 'PATCH');
+    };
+    adapter.ajax('/', 'PUT');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/models/base-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/models/base-test.js
index d2cb2f2b4..0fe0de40f 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/models/base-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/models/base-test.js
@@ -10,4 +10,30 @@ module('Unit | Model | base', function (hooks) {
     let model = store.createRecord('base', {});
     assert.ok(model);
   });
+
+  test('it has canSave and cannotSave attributes', function (assert) {
+    assert.expect(8);
+    const store = this.owner.lookup('service:store');
+    store.push({
+      data: {
+        id: '1',
+        type: 'project',
+        attributes: {},
+      },
+    });
+    const model = store.peekRecord('project', '1');
+    assert.equal(model.canSave, false);
+    assert.equal(model.cannotSave, true);
+    // Should be able to save if dirty
+    model.name = 'Project';
+    assert.equal(model.hasDirtyAttributes, true);
+    assert.equal(model.canSave, true);
+    assert.equal(model.cannotSave, false);
+    // Should not be able to save while currently saving
+    model.transitionTo('updated.inFlight');
+    assert.equal(model.isSaving, true);
+    assert.equal(model.canSave, false);
+    assert.equal(model.cannotSave, true);
+    model.transitionTo('loaded');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
index fabb999ed..7949540b5 100644
--- a/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
+++ b/addons/api/tests/unit/serializers/application-test.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | application', function (hooks) {
     const projectModelClass = store.createRecord('project').constructor;
     const payload = {
       id: '1',
-      name: 'Project 1'
+      name: 'Project 1',
     };
     const normalized = serializer.normalizeSingleResponse(
       store,
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ module('Unit | Serializer | application', function (hooks) {
         type: 'project',
         attributes: { name: 'Project 1' },
         relationships: {},
-      }
+      },
     });
   });
 });