public async Task UpdateMyEntity(int id, int? updatedProperty, string otherProperty)
{
    using (var context = new MyDbContext())
    {
        var entity = new MyEntity { Id = id };
        context.MyEntities.Attach(entity);

        if (updatedProperty != null) { entity.Property = updatedProperty.Value; }
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(otherProperty) { entity.OtherProperty = otherProperty; }

        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
    }
}

public class MyEntity
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int Property { get; set; }
    [Required]
    public string OtherProperty { get; set; }
    [Required]
    public OtherEntity Related { get; set; }
}

public class OtherEntity
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string SomeProperty { get; set; }
}

var entity = new MyEntity { Id = 123 }; // an entity with this id exists in db
context.MyEntities.Attach(entity);

if (updatedProperty != null) { entity.Property = updatedProperty.Value; }

await context.SaveChangesAsync();

protected override DbEntityValidationResult ValidateEntity(
  DbEntityEntry entityEntry,
  IDictionary<object, object> items)
{
  var result = base.ValidateEntity(entityEntry, items);
  var falseErrors = result.ValidationErrors
    .Where(error =>
    {
      var member = entityEntry.Member(error.PropertyName);
      var property = member as DbPropertyEntry;
      if (property != null)
        return !property.IsModified;
      else
        return false;//not false err;
    });

  foreach (var error in falseErrors.ToArray())
    result.ValidationErrors.Remove(error);
  return result;
}