diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/keywords.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/keywords.rs
index 1e9dacbae..3d9492499 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/keywords.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/keywords.rs
@@ -15,20 +15,24 @@ fn strs(p: &Value, key: &str) -> Vec<String> {
     }
 }
 
-/// Commit a keyword batch; returns how many changes it made. The keyword filter follows a renamed
-/// keyword and is cleared when its keyword is deleted.
+/// Commit a keyword batch; returns `{changed: photos changed, listed: keyword list changes}`. The
+/// keyword filter follows a renamed keyword and is cleared when its keyword is deleted.
 fn commit_keywords(s: &mut Session, label: &str, op: lightcraft_catalog::Op, follow: impl Fn(&str) -> Option<String>) -> Result<Value> {
-    let n = match &op {
-        lightcraft_catalog::Op::Batch { ops } => ops.len(),
-        _ => 1,
+    use lightcraft_catalog::Op;
+    let (photos, listed) = match &op {
+        Op::Batch { ops } => {
+            (ops.iter().filter(|o| matches!(o, Op::SetMeta { .. })).count(), ops.iter().filter(|o| matches!(o, Op::SetKeyword { .. })).count())
+        }
+        Op::SetMeta { .. } => (1, 0),
+        _ => (0, 1),
     };
-    if n > 0 {
+    if photos + listed > 0 {
         s.commit(label, op)?;
     }
     if let Some(k) = s.filter.keyword.clone() {
         s.filter.keyword = follow(&k);
     }
-    Ok(json!({"changed": n}))
+    Ok(json!({"changed": photos, "listed": listed}))
 }
 
 /// A keyword's attributes from command params over `base`: those not given keep their value.
@@ -324,7 +328,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             |s, _| {
                 let op = s.catalog.purge_unused_keywords_ops();
                 let r = commit_keywords(s, "Purge Unused Keywords", op, |k| Some(k.to_string()))?;
-                Ok(json!({"purged": r["changed"]}))
+                Ok(json!({"purged": r["listed"]}))
             }
         ),
         cmd!(
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests_keyword_list.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests_keyword_list.rs
index 4c0e186cf..3d5e21666 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests_keyword_list.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests_keyword_list.rs
@@ -157,3 +157,16 @@ fn keywords_given_to_photos_are_stored_cleaned() {
     assert_eq!(keywords_of(&s, id), ["beach", "Ärzte", "sea"]);
     assert!(s.execute("keyword.info", &json!({"keyword": "beach"})).is_ok());
 }
+
+/// Rename, merge and delete say how many photos they changed, as before the keyword list: the
+/// list's own changes aren't photos.
+#[test]
+fn keyword_actions_count_the_photos_they_change() {
+    let mut s = Session::with_demo();
+    let id = s.visible_cloned()[0].0;
+    s.execute("keyword.create", &json!({"name": "Weddings", "synonyms": ["marriage"]})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("keyword.rename", &json!({"from": "Weddings", "to": "Marriages"})).unwrap()["changed"], 0);
+    s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"ids": [id], "addKeywords": ["Marriages"]})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("keyword.rename", &json!({"from": "Marriages", "to": "Weddings"})).unwrap()["changed"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("keyword.delete", &json!({"keyword": "weddings"})).unwrap()["changed"], 1);
+}