diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
index b0a629216..741ce4d4f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
@@ -395,6 +395,17 @@ public void putInitialStateToWorkflowState(String workflowId, User user, ActionL
      * @param listener action listener
      */
     public void updateTemplateInGlobalContext(String documentId, Template template, ActionListener<IndexResponse> listener) {
+        updateTemplateInGlobalContext(documentId, template, listener, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Replaces a document in the global context index
+     * @param documentId the document Id
+     * @param template the use-case template
+     * @param listener action listener
+     * @param force if set true, ignores the requirement that the provisioning is not started
+     */
+    public void updateTemplateInGlobalContext(String documentId, Template template, ActionListener<IndexResponse> listener, boolean force) {
         if (!doesIndexExist(GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX)) {
             String errorMessage = "Failed to update template for workflow_id : " + documentId + ", global_context index does not exist.";
             logger.error(errorMessage);
@@ -404,7 +415,7 @@ public void updateTemplateInGlobalContext(String documentId, Template template,
         doesTemplateExist(documentId, templateExists -> {
             if (templateExists) {
                 isWorkflowNotStarted(documentId, workflowIsNotStarted -> {
-                    if (workflowIsNotStarted) {
+                    if (workflowIsNotStarted || force) {
                         IndexRequest request = new IndexRequest(GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX).id(documentId);
                         try (
                             XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
index 86da71575..c5f52ec71 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
@@ -174,7 +174,9 @@ protected void doExecute(Task task, WorkflowRequest request, ActionListener<Work
                                                 new FlowFrameworkException(errorMessage, ExceptionsHelper.status(exception))
                                             );
                                         }
-                                    })
+                                    }),
+                                    // We've already checked workflow is not started, ignore second check
+                                    true
                                 );
                             }, exception -> {
                                 String errorMessage = "Failed to update workflow state: " + workflowId;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
index 5e65d8cb1..d6c3ffa65 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public void testFailedUpdateWorkflow() throws Exception {
         Template template = TestHelpers.createTemplateFromFile("createconnector-registerremotemodel-deploymodel.json");
 
         ResponseException exception = expectThrows(ResponseException.class, () -> updateWorkflow(client(), "123", template));
-        assertTrue(exception.getMessage().contains("Failed to get template: 123"));
+        assertTrue(exception.getMessage().contains("Failed to retrieve template (123) from global context."));
 
         Response response = createWorkflow(client(), template);
         assertEquals(RestStatus.CREATED, TestHelpers.restStatus(response));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
index 3969ec4ee..336e25e23 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyBoolean;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ public void testProvisionWorkflow() {
             ActionListener<IndexResponse> responseListener = invocation.getArgument(2);
             responseListener.onResponse(new IndexResponse(new ShardId(GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX, "", 1), "1", 1L, 1L, 1L, true));
             return null;
-        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).updateTemplateInGlobalContext(any(), any(Template.class), any());
+        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).updateTemplateInGlobalContext(any(), any(Template.class), any(), anyBoolean());
 
         provisionWorkflowTransportAction.doExecute(mock(Task.class), workflowRequest, listener);
         ArgumentCaptor<WorkflowResponse> responseCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(WorkflowResponse.class);