diff --git a/cavern/src/main/java/org/opencadc/cavern/files/PutAction.java b/cavern/src/main/java/org/opencadc/cavern/files/PutAction.java
index 095c2456..cf0bd171 100644
--- a/cavern/src/main/java/org/opencadc/cavern/files/PutAction.java
+++ b/cavern/src/main/java/org/opencadc/cavern/files/PutAction.java
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 import org.opencadc.vospace.VOSURI;
 
 /**
- *
+ * @author pdowler
  * @author majorb
  * @author jeevesh
  */
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ public void doAction() throws Exception {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("not a data node");
             }
             node = (DataNode) n;
+            if (node == null) {
+                log.warn("target node: " + node + ": creating");
+                node = new DataNode(nodeURI.getName());
+                node.owner = caller;
+                node.parent = cn;
+                nodePersistence.put(node);
+            }
             
             // check write permission
             if (!preauthGranted) {
@@ -197,8 +204,9 @@ public void doAction() throws Exception {
             //Files.copy(vis, target, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
             
             // truncate: do not recreate file with wrong owner
+            StandardOpenOption openOption = StandardOpenOption.TRUNCATE_EXISTING;
             DigestOutputStream out = new DigestOutputStream(
-                    Files.newOutputStream(target, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, StandardOpenOption.TRUNCATE_EXISTING), md);
+                    Files.newOutputStream(target, StandardOpenOption.WRITE, openOption), md);
             ByteCountOutputStream bcos = new ByteCountOutputStream(out);
             MultiBufferIO io = new MultiBufferIO();
             io.copy(in, bcos);
@@ -223,7 +231,7 @@ public void doAction() throws Exception {
             
             // update Node
             node.owner = caller;
-            node.ownerID = identityManager.toPosixPrincipal(caller);
+            node.ownerID = null; // just in case
         
             log.debug(nodeURI + " MD5: " + propValue);
             NodeProperty csp = node.getProperty(VOS.PROPERTY_URI_CONTENTMD5);