diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
index 365c4f61ff..03d30b0e7a 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-comments-controller.php
@@ -431,10 +431,10 @@ class WP_REST_Comments_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 		}
 
 		/*
-		 * Do not allow a comment to be created with an empty string for
+		 * Do not allow a comment to be created with missing or empty
 		 * comment_content. See wp_handle_comment_submission().
 		 */
-		if ( '' === $prepared_comment['comment_content'] ) {
+		if ( empty( $prepared_comment['comment_content'] ) ) {
 			return new WP_Error( 'rest_comment_content_invalid', __( 'Comment content is invalid.' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
 		}
 
@@ -636,6 +636,10 @@ class WP_REST_Comments_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 				return $prepared_args;
 			}
 
+			if ( isset( $prepared_args['comment_content'] ) && empty( $prepared_args['comment_content'] ) ) {
+				return new WP_Error( 'rest_comment_content_invalid', __( 'Comment content is invalid.' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
+			}
+
 			$prepared_args['comment_ID'] = $id;
 
 			$check_comment_lengths = wp_check_comment_data_max_lengths( $prepared_args );
@@ -1064,11 +1068,6 @@ class WP_REST_Comments_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Require 'comment_content' unless only the 'comment_status' is being updated.
-		if ( ! empty( $prepared_comment ) && ! isset( $prepared_comment['comment_content'] ) ) {
-			return new WP_Error( 'rest_comment_content_required', __( 'Missing comment content.' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
-		}
-
 		/**
 		 * Filters a comment after it is prepared for the database.
 		 *
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 1a2a0a2ace..3e20c58dce 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.7-beta2-39195';
+$wp_version = '4.7-beta2-39196';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.