diff --git a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/LeaseSerializer.java b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/LeaseSerializer.java
index 5dbf6366..ff72891a 100644
--- a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/LeaseSerializer.java
+++ b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/LeaseSerializer.java
@@ -81,6 +81,13 @@ public interface LeaseSerializer {
      */
     Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoNonexistantExpectation();
 
+    /**
+     * @return the attribute value map asserting that a lease does exist.
+     */
+    default Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation() {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("DynamoExistantExpectation is not implemented");
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param lease
      * @return the attribute value map that increments a lease counter
diff --git a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseRefresher.java b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseRefresher.java
index df5746a2..98f75144 100644
--- a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseRefresher.java
+++ b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseRefresher.java
@@ -681,8 +681,10 @@ public class DynamoDBLeaseRefresher implements LeaseRefresher {
             throws DependencyException, InvalidStateException, ProvisionedThroughputException {
         log.debug("Updating lease without expectation {}", lease);
         final AWSExceptionManager exceptionManager = createExceptionManager();
+        exceptionManager.add(ConditionalCheckFailedException.class, t -> t);
         Map<String, AttributeValueUpdate> updates = serializer.getDynamoUpdateLeaseUpdate(lease, updateField);
         UpdateItemRequest request = UpdateItemRequest.builder().tableName(table).key(serializer.getDynamoHashKey(lease))
+                .expected(serializer.getDynamoExistantExpectation())
                 .attributeUpdates(updates).build();
         try {
             try {
@@ -692,6 +694,9 @@ public class DynamoDBLeaseRefresher implements LeaseRefresher {
             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                 throw new DependencyException(e);
             }
+        } catch (ConditionalCheckFailedException e) {
+            log.warn("Lease update failed for lease with key {} because the lease did not exist at the time of the update",
+                    lease.leaseKey(), e);
         } catch (DynamoDbException | TimeoutException e) {
             throw convertAndRethrowExceptions("update", lease.leaseKey(), e);
         }
diff --git a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseSerializer.java b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseSerializer.java
index 4523bada..832118dc 100644
--- a/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseSerializer.java
+++ b/amazon-kinesis-client/src/main/java/software/amazon/kinesis/leases/dynamodb/DynamoDBLeaseSerializer.java
@@ -192,6 +192,16 @@ public class DynamoDBLeaseSerializer implements LeaseSerializer {
         return result;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation() {
+        Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> result = new HashMap<>();
+
+        ExpectedAttributeValue expectedAV = ExpectedAttributeValue.builder().exists(true).build();
+        result.put(LEASE_KEY_KEY, expectedAV);
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Map<String, AttributeValueUpdate> getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(final Lease lease) {
         return getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(lease.leaseCounter());