diff --git a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractUnitOfWork.java b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractUnitOfWork.java
index c3cc0fb..3025a73 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractUnitOfWork.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/AbstractUnitOfWork.java
@@ -245,18 +245,19 @@ public abstract class AbstractUnitOfWork<E extends Exception>
     Either<Object, List<Facet>> deletedObjectFacets = Either.right(facets);
     String tableName = CacheUtil.schemaName(facets);
     Optional<Object> optionalValue = cacheLookup(facets);
+
+    for (Facet facet : facets) {
+      if (!facet.fixed()) {
+        String columnKey = facet.name() + "==" + facet.value();
+        // mark the value identified by the facet to `deleted`
+        cache.put(tableName, columnKey, deletedObjectFacets);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Now, look for other row/col pairs that referenced the same object, mark them
+    // `deleted` if the cache had a value before we added the deleted marker objects.
     if (optionalValue.isPresent()) {
       Object value = optionalValue.get();
-
-      for (Facet facet : facets) {
-        if (!facet.fixed()) {
-          String columnKey = facet.name() + "==" + facet.value();
-          // mark the value identified by the facet to `deleted`
-          cache.put(tableName, columnKey, deletedObjectFacets);
-        }
-      }
-      // look for other row/col pairs that referenced the same object, mark them
-      // `deleted`
       cache
           .columnKeySet()
           .forEach(
@@ -326,13 +327,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractUnitOfWork<E extends Exception>
       }
     }
 
-    // log.record(txn::provisionalCommit)
-    // examine log for conflicts in read-set and write-set between begin and
-    // provisional commit
-    // if (conflict) { throw new ConflictingUnitOfWorkException(this) }
-    // else return function so as to enable commit.andThen(() -> { do something iff
-    // commit was successful; })
-
     if (canCommit) {
       committed = true;
       aborted = false;
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractOptionalOperation.java b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractOptionalOperation.java
index 1292358..911383f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractOptionalOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractOptionalOperation.java
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractOptionalOperation<E, O extends AbstractOptionalOpe
                 if (isSessionCacheable()) {
                   String tableName = CacheUtil.schemaName(facets);
                   cachedResult = (E) sessionOps.checkCache(tableName, facets);
-                  Class<?> iface = MappingUtil.getMappingInterface(cachedResult);
                   if (cachedResult != null) {
+                    Class<?> iface = MappingUtil.getMappingInterface(cachedResult);
                     try {
                       if (Drafted.class.isAssignableFrom(iface)) {
                         result = Optional.of(cachedResult);
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractStreamOperation.java b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractStreamOperation.java
index 609bbb5..f0dac94 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractStreamOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/AbstractStreamOperation.java
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractStreamOperation<E, O extends AbstractStreamOperati
                 if (isSessionCacheable()) {
                   String tableName = CacheUtil.schemaName(facets);
                   cachedResult = (E) sessionOps.checkCache(tableName, facets);
-                  Class<?> iface = MappingUtil.getMappingInterface(cachedResult);
                   if (cachedResult != null) {
+                    Class<?> iface = MappingUtil.getMappingInterface(cachedResult);
                     E result = null;
                     try {
                       if (Drafted.class.isAssignableFrom(iface)) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/UpdateOperation.java b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/UpdateOperation.java
index caec7e2..c54880d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/UpdateOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/helenus/core/operation/UpdateOperation.java
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import net.helenus.support.HelenusException;
 import net.helenus.support.HelenusMappingException;
 import net.helenus.support.Immutables;
 
-
 public final class UpdateOperation<E> extends AbstractFilterOperation<E, UpdateOperation<E>> {
 
   private final Map<Assignment, BoundFacet> assignments = new HashMap<>();
@@ -787,13 +786,14 @@ public final class UpdateOperation<E> extends AbstractFilterOperation<E, UpdateO
   @Override
   public E sync() throws TimeoutException {
     E result = super.sync();
-    if (entity.isCacheable()) {
+    if (result != null && entity.isCacheable()) {
       if (draft != null) {
-        sessionOps.updateCache(draft, bindFacetValues());
         adjustTtlAndWriteTime(draft);
+        adjustTtlAndWriteTime((MapExportable) result);
+        sessionOps.updateCache(result, bindFacetValues());
       } else if (pojo != null) {
-        sessionOps.updateCache(pojo, bindFacetValues());
         adjustTtlAndWriteTime((MapExportable) pojo);
+        sessionOps.updateCache(pojo, bindFacetValues());
       } else {
         sessionOps.cacheEvict(bindFacetValues());
       }
@@ -807,16 +807,18 @@ public final class UpdateOperation<E> extends AbstractFilterOperation<E, UpdateO
       return sync();
     }
     E result = super.sync(uow);
-    if (draft != null) {
-      adjustTtlAndWriteTime(draft);
+    if (result != null) {
+      if (draft != null) {
+        adjustTtlAndWriteTime(draft);
+      }
       if (entity != null && MapExportable.class.isAssignableFrom(entity.getMappingInterface())) {
         adjustTtlAndWriteTime((MapExportable) result);
+        cacheUpdate(uow, result, bindFacetValues());
+      } else if (pojo != null) {
+        adjustTtlAndWriteTime((MapExportable) pojo);
+        cacheUpdate(uow, (E) pojo, bindFacetValues());
+        return (E) pojo;
       }
-      cacheUpdate(uow, result, bindFacetValues());
-    } else if (pojo != null) {
-      cacheUpdate(uow, (E) pojo, bindFacetValues());
-      adjustTtlAndWriteTime((MapExportable) pojo);
-      return (E) pojo;
     }
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/draft/EntityDraftBuilderTest.java b/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/draft/EntityDraftBuilderTest.java
index dc49c00..e162041 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/draft/EntityDraftBuilderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/draft/EntityDraftBuilderTest.java
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ public class EntityDraftBuilderTest extends AbstractEmbeddedCassandraTest {
     Supply s2 =
         session
             .<Supply>update(s1.update())
-            .and(supply::region, eq(region))
             .prepend(supply::suppliers, "Pignose Supply, LLC.")
             .sync();
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/unitofwork/UnitOfWorkTest.java b/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/unitofwork/UnitOfWorkTest.java
index 9ac2bdf..830732a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/unitofwork/UnitOfWorkTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/helenus/test/integration/core/unitofwork/UnitOfWorkTest.java
@@ -264,8 +264,13 @@ public class UnitOfWorkTest extends AbstractEmbeddedCassandraTest {
       Assert.assertEquals(w1, w2);
 
       // This should remove the object from the session cache.
+      session.<Widget>update(w2).set(widget::name, "Bill").where(widget::id, eq(key)).sync(uow);
       w3 =
-          session.<Widget>update(w2).set(widget::name, "Bill").where(widget::id, eq(key)).sync(uow);
+          session
+              .<Widget>update(w2)
+              .set(widget::name, w1.name())
+              .where(widget::id, eq(key))
+              .sync(uow);
 
       // Fetch from session cache will cache miss (as it was updated) and trigger a SELECT.
       w4 = session.<Widget>select(widget).where(widget::id, eq(key)).single().sync().orElse(null);
@@ -284,7 +289,6 @@ public class UnitOfWorkTest extends AbstractEmbeddedCassandraTest {
 
       Assert.assertTrue(w5.equals(w2));
       Assert.assertTrue(w2.equals(w5));
-      Assert.assertEquals(w5.name(), "Bill");
 
       uow.commit()
           .andThen(