diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a8c2036bfc7..c1961f735a5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 ## dbt 0.17.0 (Release TBD)
 
+
+### Fixes
+- When no columns are documented and persist_docs.columns is True, skip creating comments instead of failing with errors ([#2439](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/issues/2439), [#2440](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2440))
+
+
 ## dbt 0.17.0rc1 (May 12, 2020)
 
 ### Breaking changes
@@ -26,7 +31,7 @@
 - Track distinct project hashes in anonymous usage metrics for package downloads ([#2351](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/issues/2351), [#2429](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2429))
 
 Contributors:
- - [@azhard](https://github.com/azhard) ([#2413](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2413), [#2422](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2422)) 
+ - [@azhard](https://github.com/azhard) ([#2413](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2413), [#2422](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2422))
  - [@mikaelene](https://github.com/mikaelene) [#2414](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2414)
  - [@raalsky](https://github.com/Raalsky) ([#2343](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt/pull/2343))
  - [@alf-mindshift](https://github.com/alf-mindshift) ([docs#90](https://github.com/fishtown-analytics/dbt-docs/pull/90))
diff --git a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/adapters/common.sql b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/adapters/common.sql
index 23f548eb2cb..9dcc71003fe 100644
--- a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/adapters/common.sql
+++ b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/adapters/common.sql
@@ -156,11 +156,11 @@
 {% endmacro %}
 
 {% macro default__persist_docs(relation, model, for_relation, for_columns) -%}
-  {% if for_relation and config.persist_relation_docs() %}
+  {% if for_relation and config.persist_relation_docs() and model.description %}
     {% do run_query(alter_relation_comment(relation, model.description)) %}
   {% endif %}
 
-  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() %}
+  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() and model.columns %}
     {% do run_query(alter_column_comment(relation, model.columns)) %}
   {% endif %}
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/adapters.sql b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/adapters.sql
index ef4b39a0130..5bf24ef2df3 100644
--- a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/adapters.sql
+++ b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/adapters.sql
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
 
 {#-- relation-level macro is not implemented. This is handled in the CTAs statement #}
 {% macro bigquery__persist_docs(relation, model, for_relation, for_columns) -%}
-  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() %}
+  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() and model.columns %}
     {% do alter_column_comment(relation, model.columns) %}
   {% endif %}
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/plugins/redshift/dbt/include/redshift/macros/adapters.sql b/plugins/redshift/dbt/include/redshift/macros/adapters.sql
index a6bc82c2b8e..2d05ce551e3 100644
--- a/plugins/redshift/dbt/include/redshift/macros/adapters.sql
+++ b/plugins/redshift/dbt/include/redshift/macros/adapters.sql
@@ -192,13 +192,13 @@
 
 
 {% macro redshift__persist_docs(relation, model, for_relation, for_columns) -%}
-  {% if for_relation and config.persist_relation_docs() %}
+  {% if for_relation and config.persist_relation_docs() and model.description %}
     {% do run_query(alter_relation_comment(relation, model.description)) %}
   {% endif %}
 
   {# Override: do not set column comments for LBVs #}
   {% set is_lbv = config.get('materialized') == 'view' and config.get('bind') == false %}
-  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() and not is_lbv %}
+  {% if for_columns and config.persist_column_docs() and model.columns and not is_lbv %}
     {% do run_query(alter_column_comment(relation, model.columns)) %}
   {% endif %}
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/incremental_test.sql b/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/incremental_test.sql
deleted file mode 100644
index a4b905a931a..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/incremental_test.sql
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-{{
-  config ({
-  	"materialized" : 'incremental',
-    "persist_docs" : { "relation": true, "columns": true, "schema": true }
-  })
-}}
-
-select 1 as column1
diff --git a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/schema.yml b/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/schema.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index ad1ab4daa23..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/schema.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-models:
-  - name: view_test
-    description: >
-      View - "money" aka $$$$$
-    columns:
-      - name: column1
-        description: test 1 - abcd "" $$$ '' 
-
-  - name: incremental_test
-    description: >
-      Incremental - "money" aka $$$$$
-    columns:
-      - name: column1
-        description: test 1 - abcd "" $$$ '' 
-
-  - name: table_test
-    description: >
-      Table - "money" aka $$$$$
-    columns:
-      - name: column1
-        description: test 1 - abcd "" $$$ '' 
diff --git a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/table_test.sql b/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/table_test.sql
deleted file mode 100644
index 447f3489712..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/table_test.sql
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-{{
-  config ({
-  	"materialized" : 'table',
-    "persist_docs" : { "relation": true, "columns": true, "schema": true }
-  })
-}}
-
-select 1 as column1
diff --git a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/view_test.sql b/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/view_test.sql
deleted file mode 100644
index 337d4ccc098..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/059_persist_docs_test/sf_models/view_test.sql
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{{
-  config ({
-    "persist_docs" : { "relation": true, "columns": true, "schema": true }
-  })
-}}
-
-select 1 as column1
diff --git a/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/models/no_docs_model.sql b/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/models/no_docs_model.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e39a7a1566f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/models/no_docs_model.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+select 1 as id, 'Alice' as name
diff --git a/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/test_persist_docs.py b/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/test_persist_docs.py
index 3dd9f0da140..94bfe5715f3 100644
--- a/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/test_persist_docs.py
+++ b/test/integration/060_persist_docs_tests/test_persist_docs.py
@@ -75,13 +75,16 @@ def run_has_comments_pglike(self):
         with open('target/catalog.json') as fp:
             catalog_data = json.load(fp)
         assert 'nodes' in catalog_data
-        assert len(catalog_data['nodes']) == 2
+        assert len(catalog_data['nodes']) == 3
         table_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.table_model']
         view_node = self._assert_has_table_comments(table_node)
 
         view_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.view_model']
         self._assert_has_view_comments(view_node)
 
+        no_docs_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.no_docs_model']
+        self._assert_has_view_comments(no_docs_node, False, False)
+
     @use_profile('postgres')
     def test_postgres_comments(self):
         self.run_has_comments_pglike()
@@ -116,13 +119,16 @@ def test_redshift_late_binding_view(self):
         with open('target/catalog.json') as fp:
             catalog_data = json.load(fp)
         assert 'nodes' in catalog_data
-        assert len(catalog_data['nodes']) == 2
+        assert len(catalog_data['nodes']) == 3
         table_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.table_model']
         view_node = self._assert_has_table_comments(table_node)
 
         view_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.view_model']
         self._assert_has_view_comments(view_node, False, False)
 
+        no_docs_node = catalog_data['nodes']['model.test.no_docs_model']
+        self._assert_has_view_comments(no_docs_node, False, False)
+
 
 class TestPersistDocsSimple(BasePersistDocsTest):
     @property
@@ -135,9 +141,6 @@ def project_config(self):
                         "relation": True,
                         "columns": True,
                     },
-                    'view_model': {
-                        'bind': False,
-                    }
                 }
             }
         }