diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 89f1857715..ee2e6c9a3a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,24 @@
+# v1.3.1 - Bug fixes, Docker documentation update
+
+## Bug fixes
+- #1259 Bug-fix for `ht.regression.Lasso()` on GPU (by @mrfh92)
+- #1201 Fix `ht.diff` for 1-element-axis edge case (by @mtar)
+
+## Changes
+
+### Interoperability
+
+- #1257 Docker release 1.3.x update (by @JuanPedroGHM)
+
+### Maintenance
+
+- #1274 Update version before release  (by @ClaudiaComito)
+- #1267 Unit tests: Increase tolerance for `ht.allclose` on `ht.inv` operations for all torch versions (by @ClaudiaComito)
+- #1266 Sync `pre-commit` configuration with `main` branch (by @ClaudiaComito)
+- #1264 Fix Pytorch release tracking workflows (by @mtar)
+- #1234 Update sphinx package requirements (by @mtar)
+- #1187 Create configuration file for Read the Docs (by @mtar)
+
 # v1.3.0 - Scalable SVD, GSoC`22 contributions, Docker image, PyTorch 2  support, AMD GPUs acceleration
 
 This release includes many important updates (see below). We particularly would like to thank our enthusiastic [GSoC2022](https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/programs/2022) / tentative GSoC2023 contributors @Mystic-Slice @neosunhan @Sai-Suraj-27 @shahpratham @AsRaNi1 @Ishaan-Chandak 🙏🏼 Thank you so much!
diff --git a/heat/core/arithmetics.py b/heat/core/arithmetics.py
index a38f10c3a2..eed92c58c9 100644
--- a/heat/core/arithmetics.py
+++ b/heat/core/arithmetics.py
@@ -538,7 +538,8 @@ def diff(
 
         # build the slice for the first element on the specified axis
         arb_slice = [slice(None)] * len(a.shape)
-        arb_slice[axis] = 0
+        if ret.lshape[axis] > 0:
+            arb_slice[axis] = 0
         # send the first element of the array to rank - 1
         if rank > 0:
             snd = ret.comm.Isend(ret.lloc[arb_slice].clone(), dest=rank - 1, tag=rank)
@@ -554,7 +555,8 @@ def diff(
         if rank < size - 1:
             cr_slice = [slice(None)] * len(a.shape)
             # slice of 1 element in the selected axis for the shape creation
-            cr_slice[axis] = 1
+            if ret.lshape[axis] > 1:
+                cr_slice[axis] = 1
             recv_data = torch.ones(
                 ret.lloc[cr_slice].shape, dtype=ret.dtype.torch_type(), device=a.device.torch_device
             )
diff --git a/heat/core/tests/test_arithmetics.py b/heat/core/tests/test_arithmetics.py
index 7c2f9c8aa8..1c98da7f77 100644
--- a/heat/core/tests/test_arithmetics.py
+++ b/heat/core/tests/test_arithmetics.py
@@ -405,6 +405,15 @@ def test_diff(self):
         ht_diff = ht.diff(ht_array, n=0)
         self.assertTrue(ht.equal(ht_diff, ht_array))
 
+        # edge cases
+        ht_arr = ht.ones((2, 1, 2), split=0)
+        ht_diff = ht.diff(ht_arr, axis=1)
+        self.assertEqual(ht_diff.gshape, (2, 0, 2))
+
+        ht_arr = ht.ones((2, 1, 2), split=1)
+        ht_diff = ht.diff(ht_arr, axis=1)
+        self.assertEqual(ht_diff.gshape, (2, 0, 2))
+
         # raises
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             ht.diff(ht_array, n=-2)