diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/needless_update.rs b/clippy_lints/src/needless_update.rs
index 98e9078094a2..41cf541ecf5e 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/needless_update.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/needless_update.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ declare_clippy_lint! {
     /// **What it does:** Checks for needlessly including a base struct on update
     /// when all fields are changed anyway.
     ///
+    /// This lint is not applied to structs marked with
+    /// [non_exhaustive](https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/attributes/type_system.html).
+    ///
     /// **Why is this bad?** This will cost resources (because the base has to be
     /// somewhere), and make the code less readable.
     ///
@@ -49,7 +52,9 @@ impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for NeedlessUpdate {
         if let ExprKind::Struct(_, ref fields, Some(ref base)) = expr.kind {
             let ty = cx.typeck_results().expr_ty(expr);
             if let ty::Adt(def, _) = ty.kind() {
-                if fields.len() == def.non_enum_variant().fields.len() {
+                if fields.len() == def.non_enum_variant().fields.len()
+                    && !def.variants[0_usize.into()].is_field_list_non_exhaustive()
+                {
                     span_lint(
                         cx,
                         NEEDLESS_UPDATE,
diff --git a/tests/ui/needless_update.rs b/tests/ui/needless_update.rs
index bfa005a19f91..b93ff048a62f 100644
--- a/tests/ui/needless_update.rs
+++ b/tests/ui/needless_update.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,20 @@ struct S {
     pub b: i32,
 }
 
+#[non_exhaustive]
+struct T {
+    pub x: i32,
+    pub y: i32,
+}
+
 fn main() {
     let base = S { a: 0, b: 0 };
     S { ..base }; // no error
     S { a: 1, ..base }; // no error
     S { a: 1, b: 1, ..base };
+
+    let base = T { x: 0, y: 0 };
+    T { ..base }; // no error
+    T { x: 1, ..base }; // no error
+    T { x: 1, y: 1, ..base }; // no error
 }
diff --git a/tests/ui/needless_update.stderr b/tests/ui/needless_update.stderr
index 133c834880dd..b154b3b306dd 100644
--- a/tests/ui/needless_update.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/needless_update.stderr
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 error: struct update has no effect, all the fields in the struct have already been specified
-  --> $DIR/needless_update.rs:13:23
+  --> $DIR/needless_update.rs:19:23
    |
 LL |     S { a: 1, b: 1, ..base };
    |                       ^^^^