diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_bucket.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_bucket.cc
index 7b22f44790b..13a778e2db4 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_bucket.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_bucket.cc
@@ -1394,7 +1394,8 @@ public:
     return 0;
   }
 
-  int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker, time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj) {
+  int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker,
+          time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj, sync_type_t sync_type) {
     RGWBucketEntryPoint be, old_be;
     decode_json_obj(be, obj);
 
@@ -1406,6 +1407,12 @@ public:
     if (ret < 0 && ret != -ENOENT)
       return ret;
 
+    // are we actually going to perform this put, or is it too old?
+    if (!check_versions(old_ot.read_version, orig_mtime,
+			objv_tracker.write_version, mtime, sync_type)) {
+      return STATUS_NO_APPLY;
+    }
+
     objv_tracker.read_version = old_ot.read_version; /* maintain the obj version we just read */
 
     ret = store->put_bucket_entrypoint_info(entry, be, false, objv_tracker, mtime);
@@ -1536,7 +1543,8 @@ public:
     return 0;
   }
 
-  int put(RGWRados *store, string& oid, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker, time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj) {
+  int put(RGWRados *store, string& oid, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker,
+          time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj, sync_type_t sync_type) {
     RGWBucketCompleteInfo bci, old_bci;
     decode_json_obj(bci, obj);
 
@@ -1562,6 +1570,12 @@ public:
       bci.info.bucket.index_pool = old_bci.info.bucket.index_pool;
     }
 
+    // are we actually going to perform this put, or is it too old?
+    if (!check_versions(old_bci.info.objv_tracker.read_version, orig_mtime,
+			objv_tracker.write_version, mtime, sync_type)) {
+      return STATUS_NO_APPLY;
+    }
+
     /* record the read version (if any), store the new version */
     bci.info.objv_tracker.read_version = old_bci.info.objv_tracker.read_version;
     bci.info.objv_tracker.write_version = objv_tracker.write_version;
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_common.h b/src/rgw/rgw_common.h
index 1d3596d4418..2638bc119b0 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_common.h
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_common.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ using ceph::crypto::MD5;
 #define STATUS_NO_CONTENT        1902
 #define STATUS_PARTIAL_CONTENT   1903
 #define STATUS_REDIRECT          1904
+#define STATUS_NO_APPLY          1905
 
 #define ERR_INVALID_BUCKET_NAME  2000
 #define ERR_INVALID_OBJECT_NAME  2001
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_http_errors.h b/src/rgw/rgw_http_errors.h
index 1eb4e12e695..e48fb9a72c3 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_http_errors.h
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_http_errors.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const static struct rgw_http_errors RGW_HTTP_ERRORS[] = {
     { STATUS_ACCEPTED, 202, "Accepted" },
     { STATUS_NO_CONTENT, 204, "NoContent" },
     { STATUS_PARTIAL_CONTENT, 206, "" },
+    { STATUS_NO_APPLY, 204, "NoContent" },
     { ERR_PERMANENT_REDIRECT, 301, "PermanentRedirect" },
     { STATUS_REDIRECT, 303, "" },
     { ERR_NOT_MODIFIED, 304, "NotModified" },
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.cc
index 7be73e6ca0c..1afe991ff50 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.cc
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ public:
   virtual string get_type() { return string(); }
 
   virtual int get(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWMetadataObject **obj) { return -ENOTSUP; }
-  virtual int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker, time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj) { return -ENOTSUP; }
+  virtual int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker,
+                  time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj, sync_type_t sync_type) { return -ENOTSUP; }
 
   virtual void get_pool_and_oid(RGWRados *store, const string& key, rgw_bucket& bucket, string& oid) {}
 
@@ -357,7 +358,10 @@ int RGWMetadataManager::put(string& metadata_key, bufferlist& bl)
     return -EINVAL;
   }
 
-  return handler->put(store, entry, objv_tracker, mtime, jo);
+  RGWMetadataHandler::sync_type_t sync_type;
+  sync_type = RGWMetadataHandler::APPLY_ALWAYS;
+
+  return handler->put(store, entry, objv_tracker, mtime, jo, sync_type);
 }
 
 int RGWMetadataManager::remove(string& metadata_key)
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.h b/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.h
index 2cc9110191a..be9daaa0ba5 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.h
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_metadata.h
@@ -44,14 +44,18 @@ class RGWMetadataManager;
 class RGWMetadataHandler {
   friend class RGWMetadataManager;
 
-protected:
-  virtual void get_pool_and_oid(RGWRados *store, const string& key, rgw_bucket& bucket, string& oid) = 0;
 public:
+  enum sync_type_t {
+    APPLY_ALWAYS,
+    APPLY_UPDATES,
+    APPLY_NEWER
+  };
   virtual ~RGWMetadataHandler() {}
   virtual string get_type() = 0;
 
   virtual int get(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWMetadataObject **obj) = 0;
-  virtual int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker, time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj) = 0;
+  virtual int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker,
+                  time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj, sync_type_t type) = 0;
   virtual int remove(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker) = 0;
 
   virtual int list_keys_init(RGWRados *store, void **phandle) = 0;
@@ -62,6 +66,33 @@ public:
   virtual void get_hash_key(const string& section, const string& key, string& hash_key) {
     hash_key = section + ":" + key;
   }
+
+protected:
+  virtual void get_pool_and_oid(RGWRados *store, const string& key, rgw_bucket& bucket, string& oid) = 0;
+  /**
+   * Compare an incoming versus on-disk tag/version+mtime combo against
+   * the sync mode to see if the new one should replace the on-disk one.
+   *
+   * @return true if the update should proceed, false otherwise.
+   */
+  bool check_versions(const obj_version& ondisk, const time_t& ondisk_time,
+                      const obj_version& incoming, const time_t& incoming_time,
+                      sync_type_t sync_mode) {
+    switch (sync_mode) {
+    case APPLY_UPDATES:
+      if ((ondisk.tag != incoming.tag) ||
+	  (ondisk.ver >= incoming.ver))
+	return false;
+      break;
+    case APPLY_NEWER:
+      if (ondisk_time >= incoming_time)
+	return false;
+      break;
+    case APPLY_ALWAYS: //deliberate fall-thru -- we always apply!
+    default: break;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
 };
 
 #define META_LOG_OBJ_PREFIX "meta.log."
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_user.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_user.cc
index a1a0577c490..7722d332c7a 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_user.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_user.cc
@@ -2295,7 +2295,8 @@ public:
     return 0;
   }
 
-  int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker, time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj) {
+  int put(RGWRados *store, string& entry, RGWObjVersionTracker& objv_tracker,
+          time_t mtime, JSONObj *obj, sync_type_t sync_mode) {
     RGWUserInfo info;
 
     decode_json_obj(info, obj);
@@ -2306,6 +2307,11 @@ public:
     if (ret < 0 && ret != -ENOENT)
       return ret;
 
+    // are we actually going to perform this put, or is it too old?
+    if (!check_versions(objv_tracker.read_version, orig_mtime,
+			objv_tracker.write_version, mtime, sync_mode)) {
+      return STATUS_NO_APPLY;
+    }
 
     ret = rgw_store_user_info(store, info, &old_info, &objv_tracker, mtime, false);
     if (ret < 0)