diff --git a/lib/submit-request.js b/lib/submit-request.js
index 5c33fb9b1..ff379801c 100644
--- a/lib/submit-request.js
+++ b/lib/submit-request.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ SubmitRequest.prototype.submit = function(callback) {
         // must get the past ops and check their src and seq values to
         // differentiate.
         request._fetchCreateOpVersion(function(error, version) {
-          if (err) return callback(err);
+          if (error) return callback(error);
           if (version == null) {
             callback(request.alreadyCreatedError());
           } else {
diff --git a/test/client/submit.js b/test/client/submit.js
index 8f71e00ec..aa3f6850b 100644
--- a/test/client/submit.js
+++ b/test/client/submit.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ var deserializedType = require('./deserialized-type');
 var numberType = require('./number-type');
 var errorHandler = require('../util').errorHandler;
 var richText = require('rich-text');
-var MemoryDB = require('../../lib/db/memory');
 types.register(deserializedType.type);
 types.register(deserializedType.type2);
 types.register(numberType.type);
@@ -215,8 +214,8 @@ module.exports = function() {
 
       describe('no snapshot metadata available', function() {
         beforeEach(function() {
-          var getSnapshot = MemoryDB.prototype.getSnapshot;
-          sinon.stub(MemoryDB.prototype, 'getSnapshot')
+          var getSnapshot = this.backend.db.getSnapshot;
+          sinon.stub(this.backend.db, 'getSnapshot')
             .callsFake(function() {
               var args = Array.from(arguments);
               var callback = args.pop();
@@ -233,6 +232,27 @@ module.exports = function() {
         });
 
         runCreateTests();
+
+        it('returns errors if the database cannot get committed op version', function(done) {
+          sinon.stub(this.backend.db, 'getCommittedOpVersion')
+            .callsFake(function() {
+              var args = Array.from(arguments);
+              var callback = args.pop();
+              callback(new Error('uh-oh'));
+            });
+
+          var doc1 = this.backend.connect().get('dogs', 'fido');
+          var doc2 = this.backend.connect().get('dogs', 'fido');
+          async.series([
+            doc1.create.bind(doc1, {age: 3}),
+            function(next) {
+              doc2.create({name: 'Fido'}, function(error) {
+                expect(error.message).to.equal('uh-oh');
+                next();
+              });
+            }
+          ], done);
+        });
       });
 
       function runCreateTests() {