diff --git a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
index a1a6951545..6fde34b9a5 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
     it('should sent a patch request with an uuid, token and new password to the epersons endpoint', () => {
       service.patchPasswordWithToken('test-uuid', 'test-token','test-password');
 
-      const operation = Object.assign({ op: 'replace', path: '/password', value: 'test-password' });
+      const operation = Object.assign({ op: 'add', path: '/password', value: 'test-password' });
       const expected = new PatchRequest(requestService.generateRequestId(), epersonsEndpoint + '/test-uuid?token=test-token', [operation]);
 
       expect(requestService.configure).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expected);
diff --git a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
index a1428aee73..5fc4c6497f 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ export class EPersonDataService extends DataService<EPerson> {
   patchPasswordWithToken(uuid: string, token: string, password: string): Observable<RestResponse> {
     const requestId = this.requestService.generateRequestId();
 
-    const operation = Object.assign({ op: 'replace', path: '/password', value: password });
+    const operation = Object.assign({ op: 'add', path: '/password', value: password });
 
     const hrefObs = this.halService.getEndpoint(this.linkPath).pipe(
       map((endpoint: string) => this.getIDHref(endpoint, uuid)),
diff --git a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.spec.ts b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.spec.ts
index 8d78539bab..418626e4d1 100644
--- a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.spec.ts
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ describe('ProfilePageComponent', () => {
         component.setPasswordValue('testest');
         component.setInvalid(false);
 
-        operations = [{op: 'replace', path: '/password', value: 'testest'}];
+        operations = [{op: 'add', path: '/password', value: 'testest'}];
         result = component.updateSecurity();
       });
 
diff --git a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
index bc06c49f81..4ae644a633 100644
--- a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export class ProfilePageComponent implements OnInit {
       this.notificationsService.error(this.translate.instant(this.PASSWORD_NOTIFICATIONS_PREFIX + 'error.general'));
     }
     if (!this.invalidSecurity && passEntered) {
-      const operation = Object.assign({op: 'replace', path: '/password', value: this.password});
+      const operation = Object.assign({op: 'add', path: '/password', value: this.password});
       this.epersonService.patch(this.currentUser, [operation]).subscribe((response: RestResponse) => {
         if (response.isSuccessful) {
           this.notificationsService.success(