diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/KinesisClientLeaseSerializer.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/KinesisClientLeaseSerializer.java
index 0b9271be..966faee4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/KinesisClientLeaseSerializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/KinesisClientLeaseSerializer.java
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ public class KinesisClientLeaseSerializer implements ILeaseSerializer<KinesisCli
         return baseSerializer.getDynamoNonexistantExpectation();
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation(final String leaseKey) {
+        return baseSerializer.getDynamoExistantExpectation(leaseKey);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Map<String, AttributeValueUpdate> getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(KinesisClientLease lease) {
         return baseSerializer.getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(lease);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseManager.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseManager.java
index e5860870..36f56dda 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/impl/LeaseManager.java
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ public class LeaseManager<T extends Lease> implements ILeaseManager<T> {
         UpdateItemRequest request = new UpdateItemRequest();
         request.setTableName(table);
         request.setKey(serializer.getDynamoHashKey(lease));
-        request.setExpected(serializer.getDynamoLeaseCounterExpectation(lease));
+        request.setExpected(serializer.getDynamoExistantExpectation(lease.getLeaseKey()));
 
         Map<String, AttributeValueUpdate> updates = serializer.getDynamoUpdateLeaseUpdate(lease, updateField);
         updates.putAll(serializer.getDynamoUpdateLeaseUpdate(lease));
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 b02ed34c..62977df7 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
@@ -137,6 +137,16 @@ public class LeaseSerializer implements ILeaseSerializer<Lease> {
         return result;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation(final String leaseKey) {
+        Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> result = new HashMap<>();
+
+        ExpectedAttributeValue expectedAV = new ExpectedAttributeValue(DynamoUtils.createAttributeValue(leaseKey));
+        result.put(LEASE_KEY_KEY, expectedAV);
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Map<String, AttributeValueUpdate> getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(Lease lease) {
         return getDynamoLeaseCounterUpdate(lease.getLeaseCounter());
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/interfaces/ILeaseSerializer.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/interfaces/ILeaseSerializer.java
index 58eb6613..8ff56b7d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/interfaces/ILeaseSerializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/leases/interfaces/ILeaseSerializer.java
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ public interface ILeaseSerializer<T extends Lease> {
      */
     public Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoNonexistantExpectation();
 
+    /**
+     * @return the attribute value map asserting that a lease does exist.
+     */
+    default Map<String, ExpectedAttributeValue> getDynamoExistantExpectation(final String leaseKey) {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("DynamoExistantExpectation is not implemented");
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param lease
      * @return the attribute value map that increments a lease counter