diff --git a/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource.go b/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource.go
index 894d8094ff..c03e1a6588 100644
--- a/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource.go
+++ b/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource.go
@@ -539,13 +539,13 @@ func servicePrincipalResourceUpdate(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceData,
 		return tf.ErrorDiagF(err, "Updating service principal with object ID: %q", d.Id())
 	}
 
-	if v, ok := d.GetOk("owners"); ok && d.HasChange("owners") {
+	if d.HasChange("owners") {
 		owners, _, err := client.ListOwners(ctx, d.Id())
 		if err != nil {
 			return tf.ErrorDiagF(err, "Could not retrieve owners for service principal with object ID: %q", d.Id())
 		}
 
-		desiredOwners := *tf.ExpandStringSlicePtr(v.(*schema.Set).List())
+		desiredOwners := *tf.ExpandStringSlicePtr(d.Get("owners").(*schema.Set).List())
 		existingOwners := *owners
 		ownersForRemoval := utils.Difference(existingOwners, desiredOwners)
 		ownersToAdd := utils.Difference(desiredOwners, existingOwners)
diff --git a/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource_test.go b/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource_test.go
index a852da665e..49dcf6adae 100644
--- a/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource_test.go
+++ b/internal/services/serviceprincipals/service_principal_resource_test.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func TestAccServicePrincipal_owners(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		data.ImportStep(),
 		{
-			Config: r.basic(data),
+			Config: r.noOwners(data),
 			Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 				check.That(data.ResourceName).ExistsInAzure(r),
 				check.That(data.ResourceName).Key("owners.#").HasValue("0"),
@@ -534,19 +534,19 @@ resource "azuread_user" "testC" {
 `, data.RandomInteger, data.RandomPassword)
 }
 
-func (ServicePrincipalResource) noOwners(data acceptance.TestData) string {
+func (r ServicePrincipalResource) noOwners(data acceptance.TestData) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-provider "azuread" {}
+%[1]s
 
 resource "azuread_application" "test" {
-  display_name = "acctestServicePrincipal-%[1]d"
+  display_name = "acctestServicePrincipal-%[2]d"
 }
 
 resource "azuread_service_principal" "test" {
   application_id = azuread_application.test.application_id
   owners         = []
 }
-`, data.RandomInteger)
+`, r.templateThreeUsers(data), data.RandomInteger)
 }
 
 func (r ServicePrincipalResource) singleOwner(data acceptance.TestData) string {