diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Datasets.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Datasets.java
index c3d262a20db..73ea0b98cd1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Datasets.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Datasets.java
@@ -698,8 +698,10 @@ public Response updateVersionMetadata(String jsonLDBody, @PathParam("id") String
         try {
             Dataset ds = findDatasetOrDie(id);
             DataverseRequest req = createDataverseRequest(findUserOrDie());
-            DatasetVersion dsv = ds.getOrCreateEditVersion();
+            //Check if latest existing version is draft
             boolean updateDraft = ds.getLatestVersion().isDraft();
+            //Then get a draft version - the latest or a new one as needed
+            DatasetVersion dsv = ds.getOrCreateEditVersion();
             dsv = JSONLDUtil.updateDatasetVersionMDFromJsonLD(dsv, jsonLDBody, metadataBlockService, datasetFieldSvc, !replaceTerms, false, licenseSvc);
             dsv.getTermsOfUseAndAccess().setDatasetVersion(dsv);
             boolean hasValidTerms = TermsOfUseAndAccessValidator.isTOUAValid(dsv.getTermsOfUseAndAccess(), null);