diff --git a/swh/storage/db.py b/swh/storage/db.py
--- a/swh/storage/db.py
+++ b/swh/storage/db.py
@@ -297,14 +297,35 @@
                                   (origin, ts))
         return cur.fetchone()[0]
 
-    def origin_visit_update(self, origin, visit_id, status,
-                            metadata, cur=None):
+    def origin_visit_update(self, origin_id, visit_id, status, metadata,
+                            snapshot_id, cur=None):
         """Update origin_visit's status."""
         cur = self._cursor(cur)
+        update_cols = []
+        values = []
+        where = ['origin=%s AND visit=%s']
+        where_values = [origin_id, visit_id]
+        from_ = ''
+        if status:
+            update_cols.append('status=%s')
+            values.append(status)
+        if metadata:
+            update_cols.append('metadata=%s')
+            values.append(jsonize(metadata))
+        if snapshot_id:
+            update_cols.append('snapshot_id=snapshot.object_id')
+            from_ = 'FROM snapshot'
+            where.append('snapshot.id=%s')
+            where_values.append(snapshot_id)
         update = """UPDATE origin_visit
-                    SET status=%s, metadata=%s
-                    WHERE origin=%s AND visit=%s"""
-        cur.execute(update, (status, jsonize(metadata), origin, visit_id))
+                    SET {update_cols}
+                    {from}
+                    WHERE {where}""".format(**{
+            'update_cols': ', '.join(update_cols),
+            'from': from_,
+            'where': ' AND '.join(where)
+        })
+        cur.execute(update, (*values, *where_values))
 
     origin_visit_get_cols = ['origin', 'visit', 'date', 'status', 'metadata',
                              'snapshot']
diff --git a/swh/storage/in_memory.py b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
--- a/swh/storage/in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
@@ -1077,7 +1077,8 @@
 
         return visit_ret
 
-    def origin_visit_update(self, origin, visit_id, status, metadata=None):
+    def origin_visit_update(self, origin, visit_id, status=None,
+                            metadata=None, snapshot_id=None):
         """Update an origin_visit's status.
 
         Args:
@@ -1085,6 +1086,8 @@
             visit_id (int): visit's identifier
             status: visit's new status
             metadata: data associated to the visit
+            snapshot_id (sha1_git): identifier of the snapshot to add to
+                the visit
 
         Returns:
             None
@@ -1092,18 +1095,27 @@
         """
         origin_id = origin  # TODO: rename the argument
 
+        try:
+            visit = self._origin_visits[origin_id-1][visit_id-1]
+        except IndexError:
+            raise ValueError('Invalid origin_id or visit_id') from None
         if self.journal_writer:
             origin = self.origin_get([{'id': origin_id}])[0]
             self.journal_writer.write_update('origin_visit', {
-                **self._origin_visits[origin_id-1][visit_id-1],
                 'origin': origin, 'visit': visit_id,
-                'status': status, 'metadata': metadata})
+                'status': status or visit['status'],
+                'date': visit['date'],
+                'metadata': metadata or visit['metadata'],
+                'snapshot': snapshot_id or visit['snapshot']})
         if origin_id > len(self._origin_visits) or \
            visit_id > len(self._origin_visits[origin_id-1]):
             return
-        self._origin_visits[origin_id-1][visit_id-1].update({
-            'status': status,
-            'metadata': metadata})
+        if status:
+            visit['status'] = status
+        if metadata:
+            visit['metadata'] = metadata
+        if snapshot_id:
+            visit['snapshot'] = snapshot_id
 
     def origin_visit_get(self, origin, last_visit=None, limit=None):
         """Retrieve all the origin's visit's information.
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -1059,7 +1059,8 @@
         }
 
     @db_transaction()
-    def origin_visit_update(self, origin, visit_id, status, metadata=None,
+    def origin_visit_update(self, origin, visit_id, status=None,
+                            metadata=None, snapshot_id=None,
                             db=None, cur=None):
         """Update an origin_visit's status.
 
@@ -1068,6 +1069,8 @@
             visit_id: Visit's id
             status: Visit's new status
             metadata: Data associated to the visit
+            snapshot_id (sha1_git): identifier of the snapshot to add to
+                the visit
 
         Returns:
             None
@@ -1078,13 +1081,24 @@
         if self.journal_writer:
             origin = self.origin_get([{'id': origin_id}], db=db, cur=cur)[0]
             visit = db.origin_visit_get(origin_id, visit_id, cur=cur)
+            if not visit:
+                raise ValueError('Invalid visit_id for this origin.')
             visit = dict(zip(db.origin_visit_get_cols, visit))
             self.journal_writer.write_update('origin_visit', {
                 'origin': origin, 'visit': visit_id,
-                'status': status, 'metadata': metadata,
-                'date': visit['date'], 'snapshot': None})
+                'status': status or visit['status'],
+                'metadata': metadata or visit['metadata'],
+                'date': visit['date'],
+                'snapshot': snapshot_id or visit['snapshot']})
+        updates = []
+        if status:
+            updates.append(('status', status))
+        if metadata:
+            updates.append(('metadata', metadata))
+        if snapshot_id:
+            updates.append(('snapshot', snapshot_id))
         return db.origin_visit_update(
-            origin_id, visit_id, status, metadata, cur)
+            origin_id, visit_id, status, metadata, snapshot_id, cur)
 
     @db_transaction_generator(statement_timeout=500)
     def origin_visit_get(self, origin, last_visit=None, limit=None, db=None,