diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseSerializer.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseSerializer.java
index 62977df7..29bf0f9b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseSerializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseSerializer.java
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ public class LeaseSerializer implements ILeaseSerializer<Lease> {
     public Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation(final String leaseKey) {
         Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> result = new HashMap<>();
 
-        ExpectedAttributeValue expectedAV = new ExpectedAttributeValue(DynamoUtils.createAttributeValue(leaseKey));
+        ExpectedAttributeValue expectedAV = new ExpectedAttributeValue();
+        expectedAV.setValue(DynamoUtils.createAttributeValue(leaseKey));
+        expectedAV.setExists(true);
         result.put(LEASE_KEY_KEY, expectedAV);
 
         return result;