diff --git a/lib/model/query/entities.js b/lib/model/query/entities.js
index 04943fb69..b8aeff15e 100644
--- a/lib/model/query/entities.js
+++ b/lib/model/query/entities.js
@@ -237,8 +237,19 @@ const _updateEntity = (dataset, entityData, submissionId, submissionDef, submiss
   const clientEntity = await Entity.fromParseEntityData(entityData, { update: true }); // validation happens here
 
   // Get version of entity on the server
-  const serverEntity = (await Entities.getById(dataset.id, clientEntity.uuid, QueryOptions.forUpdate))
-    .orThrow(Problem.user.entityNotFound({ entityUuid: clientEntity.uuid, datasetName: dataset.name }));
+  // TODO: comments about what is happening here, too
+  let serverEntity = await Entities.getById(dataset.id, clientEntity.uuid, QueryOptions.forUpdate);
+  if (!serverEntity.isDefined()) {
+    if (clientEntity.def.branchId == null) {
+      throw Problem.user.entityNotFound({ entityUuid: clientEntity.uuid, datasetName: dataset.name });
+    } else {
+      await _holdSubmission(run, submissionDef.submissionId, submissionDef.id, clientEntity.def.branchId, clientEntity.def.baseVersion);
+      return null;
+    }
+  } else {
+    serverEntity = serverEntity.get();
+  }
+
 
   let { conflict } = serverEntity;
   let conflictingProperties; // Maybe we don't need to persist this??? just compute at the read time
@@ -391,7 +402,7 @@ const _processSubmissionEvent = (event, parentEvent) => async ({ Audits, Dataset
   // Check for held submissions that follow this one in the same branch
   if (entityData.system.branchId != null) {
     // baseVersion could be '', meaning its a create
-    const currentBaseVersion = entityData.system.baseVersion === '' ? 1 : parseInt(entityData.system.baseVersion, 10);
+    const currentBaseVersion = entityData.system.baseVersion === '' ? 0 : parseInt(entityData.system.baseVersion, 10);
     const nextSub = await _checkHeldSubmission(maybeOne, entityData.system.branchId, currentBaseVersion + 1);
     if (nextSub.isDefined()) {
       const { submissionId: nextSubmissionId, submissionDefId: nextSubmissionDefId } = nextSub.get();
diff --git a/test/integration/api/offline-entities.js b/test/integration/api/offline-entities.js
index d72f6b56a..58fd19278 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/offline-entities.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/offline-entities.js
@@ -202,6 +202,40 @@ describe('Offline Entities', () => {
       entity.aux.currentVersion.branchBaseVersion.should.equal(2);
       entity.aux.currentVersion.data.should.eql({ age: '22', status: 'departed', first_name: 'Johnny' });
     }));
+
+    it('should handle an offline branch that starts with a create', testOfflineEntities(async (service, container) => {
+      const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
+      const branchId = uuid();
+      const dataset = await container.Datasets.get(1, 'people', true).then(getOrNotFound);
+
+      // First submission creates the entity, offline version is now 1
+      await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/offlineEntity/submissions')
+        .send(testData.instances.offlineEntity.two
+          .replace('branchId=""', `branchId="${branchId}"`)
+        )
+        .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+        .expect(200);
+
+      // Second submission updates the entity
+      await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/offlineEntity/submissions')
+        .send(testData.instances.offlineEntity.two
+          .replace('create="1"', 'update="1"')
+          .replace('branchId=""', `branchId="${branchId}"`)
+          .replace('two', 'two-update')
+          .replace('baseVersion=""', 'baseVersion="1"')
+          .replace('<status>new</status>', '<status>checked in</status>')
+        )
+        .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+        .expect(200);
+
+      await exhaust(container);
+
+      const entity = await container.Entities.getById(dataset.id, '12345678-1234-4123-8234-123456789ddd').then(getOrNotFound);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.branchId.should.equal(branchId);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.version.should.equal(2);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.baseVersion.should.equal(1);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.data.should.eql({ age: '20', status: 'checked in', first_name: 'Megan' });
+    }));
   });
 
   describe('out of order runs', () => {
@@ -337,5 +371,44 @@ describe('Offline Entities', () => {
       entity.aux.currentVersion.baseVersion.should.equal(3);
       entity.aux.currentVersion.data.should.eql({ age: '22', status: 'departed', first_name: 'Johnny' });
     }));
+
+    it('should handle offline update that comes before a create', testOfflineEntities(async (service, container) => {
+      const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
+      const branchId = uuid();
+      const dataset = await container.Datasets.get(1, 'people', true).then(getOrNotFound);
+
+      // Second submission updates the entity but entity hasn't been created yet
+      await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/offlineEntity/submissions')
+        .send(testData.instances.offlineEntity.two
+          .replace('create="1"', 'update="1"')
+          .replace('branchId=""', `branchId="${branchId}"`)
+          .replace('two', 'two-update')
+          .replace('baseVersion=""', 'baseVersion="1"')
+          .replace('<status>new</status>', '<status>checked in</status>')
+        )
+        .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+        .expect(200);
+
+      await exhaust(container);
+
+      const backlogCount = await container.oneFirst(sql`select count(*) from entity_submission_backlog`);
+      backlogCount.should.equal(1);
+
+      // First submission creating the entity comes in later
+      await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/offlineEntity/submissions')
+        .send(testData.instances.offlineEntity.two
+          .replace('branchId=""', `branchId="${branchId}"`)
+        )
+        .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+        .expect(200);
+
+      await exhaust(container);
+
+      const entity = await container.Entities.getById(dataset.id, '12345678-1234-4123-8234-123456789ddd').then(getOrNotFound);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.branchId.should.equal(branchId);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.version.should.equal(2);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.baseVersion.should.equal(1);
+      entity.aux.currentVersion.data.should.eql({ age: '20', status: 'checked in', first_name: 'Megan' });
+    }));
   });
 });