diff --git a/src/vos/vos_obj.c b/src/vos/vos_obj.c
index bdc45b071ef..4d376d79551 100644
--- a/src/vos/vos_obj.c
+++ b/src/vos/vos_obj.c
@@ -494,6 +494,16 @@ vos_obj_punch(daos_handle_t coh, daos_unit_oid_t oid, daos_epoch_t epoch,
 	if (rc != 0)
 		goto reset;
 
+	if (!(hold_flags & VOS_OBJ_CREATE) && (obj->obj_df == NULL)) {
+		rc = vos_ilog_ts_add(ts_set, NULL, &oid, sizeof(oid));
+		D_ASSERT(rc == 0);
+
+		rc = -DER_NONEXIST;
+		vos_obj_release(obj, 0, true);
+		obj = NULL;
+		goto reset;
+	}
+
 	rc = vos_tx_begin(dth, vos_cont2umm(cont), cont->vc_pool->vp_sysdb, obj);
 	if (rc != 0)
 		goto reset;
diff --git a/src/vos/vos_obj_cache.c b/src/vos/vos_obj_cache.c
index 002fb2e4ca9..8e4da564f66 100644
--- a/src/vos/vos_obj_cache.c
+++ b/src/vos/vos_obj_cache.c
@@ -545,6 +545,8 @@ vos_obj_incarnate(struct vos_object *obj, daos_epoch_range_t *epr, daos_epoch_t
 		if (rc == 0) {
 			obj->obj_sync_epoch = obj->obj_df->vo_sync;
 		} else if (rc == -DER_NONEXIST) {
+			if (!(flags & VOS_OBJ_CREATE))
+				return -DER_NONEXIST;
 			rc = vos_oi_alloc(cont, obj->obj_id, epr->epr_hi, &obj->obj_df, ts_set);
 			if (rc) {
 				DL_ERROR(rc, DF_CONT ": Failed to allocate OI " DF_UOID ".",