diff --git a/src/LfMerge.Core/DataConverters/ConvertLcmToMongoLexicon.cs b/src/LfMerge.Core/DataConverters/ConvertLcmToMongoLexicon.cs
index 89adae69..149cb18b 100644
--- a/src/LfMerge.Core/DataConverters/ConvertLcmToMongoLexicon.cs
+++ b/src/LfMerge.Core/DataConverters/ConvertLcmToMongoLexicon.cs
@@ -624,11 +624,23 @@ private Dictionary<string, LfInputSystemRecord> LcmWsToLfWs()
 			return lfWsList;
 		}
 
-		private ConvertLcmToMongoOptionList ConvertOptionListFromLcm(ILfProject project, string listCode, ICmPossibilityList LcmOptionList, bool updateMongoList = true)
+		private ConvertLcmToMongoOptionList ConvertOptionListFromLcm(ILfProject project, string listCode, ICmPossibilityList lcmOptionList, bool updateMongoList = true)
 		{
-			LfOptionList lfExistingOptionList = Connection.GetLfOptionListByCode(project, listCode);
+			LfOptionList lfExistingOptionList = null;
+			try
+			{
+				lfExistingOptionList = Connection.GetLfOptionListByCode(project, listCode); //doesn't work unless the DB is fully populated
+			}
+			catch (Exception) { }
+
 			var converter = new ConvertLcmToMongoOptionList(lfExistingOptionList, _wsEn, listCode, Logger, ServiceLocator.WritingSystemFactory);
-			LfOptionList lfChangedOptionList = converter.PrepareOptionListUpdate(LcmOptionList);
+			LfOptionList lfChangedOptionList = converter.PrepareOptionListUpdate(lcmOptionList);
+
+			if (lfExistingOptionList == null)
+			{
+				lfChangedOptionList.DateModified = lcmOptionList.DateModified; //if DB didn't have an entry, preserve LCM date
+			}
+
 			if (updateMongoList)
 				Connection.UpdateRecord(project, lfChangedOptionList, listCode);
 			return new ConvertLcmToMongoOptionList(lfChangedOptionList, _wsEn, listCode, Logger, ServiceLocator.WritingSystemFactory);
diff --git a/src/LfMerge.Core/MongoConnector/MongoConnection.cs b/src/LfMerge.Core/MongoConnector/MongoConnection.cs
index f9616bca..b8d88754 100644
--- a/src/LfMerge.Core/MongoConnector/MongoConnection.cs
+++ b/src/LfMerge.Core/MongoConnector/MongoConnection.cs
@@ -970,10 +970,10 @@ private bool UpdateRecordImpl<TDocument>(ILfProject project, TDocument data, Fil
 				mongoDb = GetMainDatabase();
 			UpdateDefinition<TDocument> update = BuildUpdate(data, false);
 			IMongoCollection<TDocument> collection = mongoDb.GetCollection<TDocument>(collectionName);
-			var updateOptions = new FindOneAndUpdateOptions<TDocument> {
+			var updateOptions = new UpdateOptions {
 				IsUpsert = true
 			};
-			collection.FindOneAndUpdate(filter, update, updateOptions);
+			collection.UpdateOne(filter, update, updateOptions);
 			return true;
 		}