diff --git a/services/docstore/app/coffee/DocManager.coffee b/services/docstore/app/coffee/DocManager.coffee
index d789554d1b..dedf3998f5 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/coffee/DocManager.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/app/coffee/DocManager.coffee
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ MongoManager = require "./MongoManager"
 Errors = require "./Errors"
 logger = require "logger-sharelatex"
 _ = require "underscore"
+async = require "async"
 
 module.exports = DocManager =
 	getDoc: (project_id, doc_id, options, callback = (error, doc, mongoPath) ->) ->
@@ -51,7 +52,13 @@ module.exports = DocManager =
 					newDocLines: lines
 					rev: doc.rev
 				}, "updating doc lines"
-				MongoManager.updateDoc project_id, mongoPath, lines, (error) ->
+				async.series [
+					(cb)->
+						# project collection is still primary so that needs to be successful first
+						MongoManager.updateDoc project_id, mongoPath, lines, cb
+					(cb)->
+						MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection project_id, doc_id, lines, doc.rev, cb
+				], (error)->
 					return callback(error) if error?
 					callback null, true, doc.rev + 1 # rev will have been incremented in mongo by MongoManager.updateDoc
 
@@ -59,9 +66,11 @@ module.exports = DocManager =
 		DocManager.getDoc project_id, doc_id, (error, doc) ->
 			return callback(error) if error?
 			return callback new Errors.NotFoundError("No such project/doc: #{project_id}/#{doc_id}") if !doc?
-			MongoManager.insertDoc project_id, doc_id, { lines: doc.lines, deleted: true }, (error) ->
+			MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection project_id, doc_id, doc.lines, doc.rev, (error) ->
 				return callback(error) if error?
-				callback()
+				MongoManager.markDocAsDeleted doc_id, (error) ->
+					return callback(error) if error?
+					callback()
 
 	findAllDocsInProject: (project, callback = (error, docs) ->) ->
 		callback null, @_findAllDocsInFolder project.rootFolder[0]
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/coffee/MongoManager.coffee b/services/docstore/app/coffee/MongoManager.coffee
index 82db106d96..05a61e4ccf 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/coffee/MongoManager.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/app/coffee/MongoManager.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,18 @@ module.exports = MongoManager =
 
 		db.projects.update _id: ObjectId(project_id), update, callback
 
-	insertDoc: (project_id, doc_id, attributes, callback = (error) ->) ->
-		attributes._id = ObjectId(doc_id)
-		attributes.project_id = ObjectId(project_id)
-		db.docs.insert attributes, callback
\ No newline at end of file
+	upsertIntoDocCollection: (project_id, doc_id, lines, oldRev, callback)->
+		update =
+			$set:{}
+		update.$set["lines"] = lines
+		update.$set["project_id"] = ObjectId(project_id)
+		update.$set["rev"] = oldRev + 1
+		db.docs.update _id: ObjectId(doc_id), update, {upsert: true}, callback
+
+
+	markDocAsDeleted: (doc_id, callback)->
+		update =
+			$set: {}
+		update.$set["deleted"] = true
+		db.docs.update _id: ObjectId(doc_id), update, (err)->
+			callback(err)
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/DocManagerTests.coffee b/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/DocManagerTests.coffee
index 0a296c4617..14b342fb99 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/DocManagerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/DocManagerTests.coffee
@@ -138,8 +138,10 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 		describe "when the doc exists", ->
 			beforeEach ->
 				@lines = ["mock", "doc", "lines"]
-				@DocManager.getDoc = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, lines: @lines)
-				@MongoManager.insertDoc = sinon.stub().callsArg(3)
+				@rev = 77
+				@DocManager.getDoc = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, {lines: @lines, rev:@rev})
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection = sinon.stub().callsArg(4)
+				@MongoManager.markDocAsDeleted = sinon.stub().callsArg(1)
 				@DocManager.deleteDoc @project_id, @doc_id, @callback
 
 			it "should get the doc", ->
@@ -147,12 +149,14 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 					.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id)
 					.should.equal true
 
-			it "insert the doc as a deleted doc", ->
-				@MongoManager.insertDoc
-					.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id, {
-						lines: @lines
-						deleted: true
-					})
+			it "should update the doc lines", ->
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection
+					.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id, @lines, @rev)
+					.should.equal true
+
+			it "should mark doc as deleted", ->
+				@MongoManager.markDocAsDeleted
+					.calledWith(@doc_id)
 					.should.equal true
 
 			it "should return the callback", ->
@@ -161,11 +165,11 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 		describe "when the doc does not exist", ->
 			beforeEach -> 
 				@DocManager.getDoc = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, null)
-				@MongoManager.insertDoc = sinon.stub().callsArg(3)
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection = sinon.stub()
 				@DocManager.deleteDoc @project_id, @doc_id, @callback
 
 			it "should not try to insert a deleted doc", ->
-				@MongoManager.insertDoc.called.should.equal false
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection.called.should.equal false
 
 			it "should return a NotFoundError", ->
 				@callback
@@ -180,6 +184,7 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 			@mongoPath = "mock.mongo.path"
 
 			@MongoManager.updateDoc = sinon.stub().callsArg(3)
+			@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection = sinon.stub().callsArg(4)
 
 		describe "when the doc lines have changed", ->
 			beforeEach ->
@@ -196,6 +201,11 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 					.calledWith(@project_id, @mongoPath, @newDocLines)
 					.should.equal true
 
+			it "should upsert the document to the doc collection", ->
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection
+					.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id, @newDocLines, @rev)
+					.should.equal true				
+
 			it "should log out the old and new doc lines", ->
 				@logger.log
 					.calledWith(
@@ -218,6 +228,7 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 
 			it "should not update the doc", ->
 				@MongoManager.updateDoc.called.should.equal false
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection.called.should.equal false
 
 			it "should return the callback with the existing rev", ->
 				@callback.calledWith(null, false, @rev).should.equal true
@@ -229,6 +240,7 @@ describe "DocManager", ->
 
 			it "should not try to update the doc", ->
 				@MongoManager.updateDoc.called.should.equal false
+				@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection.called.should.equal false
 
 			it "should return a NotFoundError", ->
 				@callback
diff --git a/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/MongoManagerTests.coffee b/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/MongoManagerTests.coffee
index c8e8478f58..aac8447a4c 100644
--- a/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/MongoManagerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/test/unit/coffee/MongoManagerTests.coffee
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ sinon = require('sinon')
 require('chai').should()
 modulePath = require('path').join __dirname, '../../../app/js/MongoManager'
 ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
+assert = require("chai").assert
 
 describe "MongoManager", ->
 	beforeEach ->
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ describe "MongoManager", ->
 		@project_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@doc_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@callback = sinon.stub()
+		@stubbedErr = new Error("hello world")
 
 	describe "findProject", ->
 		beforeEach ->
@@ -68,20 +70,41 @@ describe "MongoManager", ->
 		it "should call the callback with the project", ->
 			@callback.called.should.equal true
 
-	describe "insertDoc", ->
+
+	describe "upsertIntoDocCollection", ->
 		beforeEach ->
-			@lines = ["mock-lines"]
-			@db.docs.insert = sinon.stub().callsArg(1)
-			@MongoManager.insertDoc @project_id, @doc_id, lines: @lines, @callback
+			@db.docs.update = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(3, @stubbedErr)
+			@oldRev = 77
 
-		it "should insert the attributes with the given doc and project id", ->
-			@db.docs.insert
-				.calledWith({
-					_id: ObjectId(@doc_id)
-					project_id: ObjectId(@project_id)
-					lines: @lines
-				})
-				.should.equal true
+		it "should upsert the document", (done)->	
+			@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection @project_id, @doc_id, @lines, @oldRev, (err)=>
+				args = @db.docs.update.args[0]
+				assert.deepEqual args[0], {_id: ObjectId(@doc_id)}
+				assert.equal args[1]["$set"]["lines"], @lines
+				assert.equal args[1]["$set"]["rev"], 78
+				assert.deepEqual args[1]["$set"]["project_id"], ObjectId(@project_id)
+				done()
 
-		it "should call the callback", ->
-			@callback.called.should.equal true
\ No newline at end of file
+		it "should return the error", (done)->
+			@MongoManager.upsertIntoDocCollection @project_id, @doc_id, @lines, @oldRev, (err)=>
+				err.should.equal @stubbedErr
+				done()
+
+	describe "markDocAsDeleted", ->
+		beforeEach ->
+			@db.docs.update = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, @stubbedErr)
+			@oldRev = 77
+
+		it "should process the update", (done)->	
+			@MongoManager.markDocAsDeleted @doc_id, (err)=>
+				args = @db.docs.update.args[0]
+				assert.deepEqual args[0], {_id: ObjectId(@doc_id)}
+				assert.equal args[1]["$set"]["deleted"], true
+				done()
+
+		it "should return the error", (done)->
+			@MongoManager.markDocAsDeleted @doc_id, (err)=>
+				err.should.equal @stubbedErr
+				done()
+
+	
\ No newline at end of file