diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index 961ef651a..73ec09652 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -39,3 +39,10 @@ Naming/FileName:
   Exclude:
     - 'Appraisals'
     - 'Gemfile'
+Metrics/MethodLength:
+  Exclude:
+    - 'lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb'
+    - 'lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/persister.rb'
+Metrics/CyclomaticComplexity:
+  Exclude:
+    - 'lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb'
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister.rb
index 5541d6e72..deae6e2cb 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister.rb
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ def initialize(persister, buffer_class: Valkyrie::Persistence::DeleteTrackingBuf
       @buffer_class = buffer_class
     end
 
-    def save(resource:)
-      persister.save(resource: resource)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
+      persister.save(resource: resource, external_resource: external_resource)
     end
 
     def save_all(resources:)
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister.rb
index 8b5b71f67..e137765bc 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister.rb
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ def initialize(*persisters)
     end
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::Persister#save)
-    def save(resource:)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
       # Assume the first persister is the canonical data store; that's the optlock we want
       first, *rest = *persisters
-      cached_resource = first.save(resource: resource)
+      cached_resource = first.save(resource: resource, external_resource: external_resource)
       # Don't pass opt lock tokens to other persisters
       internal_resource = cached_resource.dup
       internal_resource.clear_optimistic_lock_token!
-      rest.inject(internal_resource) { |m, persister| persister.save(resource: m) }
+      rest.inject(internal_resource) { |m, persister| persister.save(resource: m, external_resource: true) }
       # return the one with the desired opt lock token
       cached_resource
     end
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/persister.rb
index 026f59729..fed97d134 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/persister.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def initialize(adapter:)
     end
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::Persister#save)
-    def save(resource:)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
       initialize_repository
       internal_resource = resource.dup
       internal_resource.created_at ||= Time.current
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ def save(resource:)
       alternate_resources ? save_reference_to_resource(persisted_resource, alternate_resources) : persisted_resource
     rescue Ldp::PreconditionFailed
       raise Valkyrie::Persistence::StaleObjectError, "The object #{internal_resource.id} has been updated by another process."
+    rescue Ldp::Gone
+      raise Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError, "The object #{resource.id} is previously persisted but not found at save time."
     end
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::Persister#save_all)
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/persister.rb
index 594e28a9f..f8754176b 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/persister.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory
   # @note Documentation for persisters in general is maintained here.
   class Persister
     attr_reader :adapter
-    delegate :cache, to: :adapter
+    delegate :cache, :query_service, to: :adapter
 
     # @param adapter [Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::MetadataAdapter] The memory adapter which
     #   holds the cache for this persister.
@@ -16,11 +16,18 @@ def initialize(adapter)
 
     # Save a single resource.
     # @param resource [Valkyrie::Resource] The resource to save.
+    # @param external_resource [Boolean] Whether the resource to be saved comes
+    #   from a different metadata store. Allows a resource to be saved even if
+    #   it's not already in the store. For example, if you're indexing a
+    #   resource into Solr - it's saved in your primary metadata store, but not
+    #   in Solr, so it's okay if it doesn't exist in Solr but is marked as
+    #   persisted.
     # @return [Valkyrie::Resource] The resource with an `#id` value generated by the
     #   persistence backend.
     # @raise [Valkyrie::Persistence::StaleObjectError]
-    def save(resource:)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
       raise Valkyrie::Persistence::StaleObjectError, "The object #{resource.id} has been updated by another process." unless valid_lock?(resource)
+      raise Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError, "The object #{resource.id} is previously persisted but not found at save time." unless external_resource || valid_for_save?(resource)
 
       # duplicate the resource so we are not creating side effects on the caller's resource
       internal_resource = resource.dup
@@ -34,6 +41,15 @@ def save(resource:)
       cache[internal_resource.id] = internal_resource
     end
 
+    # return true if resource is
+    # persisted and found
+    # or
+    # not persisted
+    def valid_for_save?(resource)
+      return true unless resource.persisted? # a new resource
+      query_service.find_by(id: resource.id).present? # a persisted resource must be found
+    end
+
     # Save a batch of resources.
     # @param resources [Array<Valkyrie::Resource>] List of resources to save.
     # @return [Array<Valkyrie::Resource>] List of resources with an `#id` value
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb
index eb218794c..f64f2e51a 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/persister.rb
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@ def initialize(adapter:)
     # @return [Valkyrie::Resource] the persisted/updated resource
     # @raise [Valkyrie::Persistence::StaleObjectError] raised if the resource
     #   was modified in the database between been read into memory and persisted
-    def save(resource:)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
       orm_object = resource_factory.from_resource(resource: resource)
       orm_object.transaction do
+        if !external_resource && resource.persisted? && !orm_object.persisted?
+          raise Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError, "The object #{resource.id} is previously persisted but not found at save time."
+        end
         orm_object.save!
         if resource.id && resource.id.to_s != orm_object.id
           raise Valkyrie::Persistence::UnsupportedDatatype,
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/metadata_adapter.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/metadata_adapter.rb
index c17631b38..5c44f783d 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/metadata_adapter.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/metadata_adapter.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def initialize(connection:, resource_indexer: NullIndexer, write_only: false)
 
     # @return [Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::Persister] The solr persister.
     def persister
-      Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::Persister.new(adapter: self)
+      @persister ||= Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::Persister.new(adapter: self)
     end
 
     def write_only?
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/persister.rb
index b76e2edb9..fbdc638e1 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/persister.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr
   # Most methods are delegated to {Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::Repository}
   class Persister
     attr_reader :adapter
-    delegate :connection, :resource_factory, :write_only?, to: :adapter
+    delegate :connection, :query_service, :resource_factory, :write_only?, to: :adapter
 
     # @param adapter [Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::MetadataAdapter] The adapter with the
     #   configured solr connection.
@@ -16,14 +16,20 @@ def initialize(adapter:)
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::Persister#save)
     # @return [Boolean] If write_only, whether saving succeeded.
-    def save(resource:)
+    def save(resource:, external_resource: false)
       if write_only?
         repository([resource]).persist
       else
+        raise Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError, "The object #{resource.id} is previously persisted but not found at save time." unless external_resource || valid_for_save?(resource)
         repository([resource]).persist.first
       end
     end
 
+    def valid_for_save?(resource)
+      return true unless resource.persisted? # a new resource
+      query_service.find_by(id: resource.id).present? # a persisted resource must be found
+    end
+
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::Persister#save_all)
     # @return [Boolean] If write_only, whether saving succeeded.
     def save_all(resources:)
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/persister.rb b/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/persister.rb
index f82af60d7..fbb2dbb8f 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/persister.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/persister.rb
@@ -50,6 +50,24 @@ class CustomResource < Valkyrie::Resource
     expect(reloaded.nested_resource.first.title).to eq ["Nested"]
   end
 
+  context "when a persisted resource is not in the database" do
+    it "throws an ObjectNotFoundError" do
+      expect(resource).not_to be_persisted
+      saved = persister.save(resource: resource)
+
+      expect(saved).to be_persisted
+      persister.delete(resource: saved)
+
+      expect { persister.save(resource: saved) }.to raise_error(Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError)
+    end
+    it "is okay if it's from another persister" do
+      memory_adapter = Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::MetadataAdapter.new
+      saved = memory_adapter.persister.save(resource: resource)
+
+      expect { persister.save(resource: saved, external_resource: true) }.not_to raise_error
+    end
+  end
+
   it "can persist single values" do
     resource.single_value = "A single value"
 
diff --git a/spec/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister_spec.rb b/spec/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister_spec.rb
index fd4de90ac..46dde9d17 100644
--- a/spec/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/valkyrie/persistence/buffered_persister_spec.rb
@@ -30,5 +30,15 @@ class Resource < Valkyrie::Resource
       end
       expect(buffer.query_service.find_all.length).to eq 1
     end
+    it "can handle saving an object which was previously saved" do
+      buffer = nil
+      resource = Resource.new
+      output = adapter.persister.save(resource: resource)
+      persister.with_buffer do |inner_persister, memory_buffer|
+        inner_persister.save(resource: output)
+        buffer = memory_buffer
+      end
+      expect(buffer.query_service.find_all.length).to eq 1
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister_spec.rb b/spec/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister_spec.rb
index aa1a948b1..fba6c973e 100644
--- a/spec/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/valkyrie/persistence/composite_persister_spec.rb
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@
     let(:client) { RSolr.connect(url: SOLR_TEST_URL) }
     let(:persister) do
       described_class.new(
-        Valkyrie::Persistence::Postgres::MetadataAdapter.new.persister,
+        postgres_adapter.persister,
         adapter.persister
       )
     end
+    let(:postgres_adapter) do
+      Valkyrie::Persistence::Postgres::MetadataAdapter.new
+    end
     let(:adapter) { Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::MetadataAdapter.new(connection: client) }
 
     before do
@@ -35,5 +38,9 @@ class CustomResource < Valkyrie::Resource
       book = persister.save(resource: CustomResource.new)
       expect { query_service.find_by(id: book.id) }.not_to raise_error(Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError)
     end
+    it "can save in postgres and then index freshly into solr" do
+      book = postgres_adapter.persister.save(resource: CustomResource.new)
+      expect { persister.save(resource: book) }.not_to raise_error(Valkyrie::Persistence::ObjectNotFoundError)
+    end
   end
 end