diff --git a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
index 5e479f0e0c..c6bf31b811 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
@@ -295,6 +295,33 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoPut(ResultCallback* cb, ValPtr key, ValPtr value, bool
     if ( ! key_data )
         return {ReturnCode::SERIALIZATION_FAILED, "Failed to serialize key"};
 
+    // If we are not already in overwrite mode check if an expired entry exists
+    // in the database. Such entries would not be visible to the user, but even
+    // outside of overwrite mode would need to be overwritten.
+    if ( ! overwrite ) {
+        auto stmt = unique_stmt_ptr(get_stmt.get(), sqlite3_reset);
+
+        if ( auto res = CheckError(sqlite3_bind_blob(stmt.get(), 1, key_data->data(), key_data->size(), SQLITE_STATIC));
+             res.code != ReturnCode::SUCCESS ) {
+            return res;
+        }
+
+        int step_status = sqlite3_step(stmt.get());
+        if ( step_status == SQLITE_ROW ) {
+            // If an expired entry exists, switch to overwrite mode.
+            overwrite =
+                sqlite3_column_type(stmt.get(), 1) != SQLITE_NULL && is_expired(sqlite3_column_double(stmt.get(), 0));
+        }
+        else if ( step_status == SQLITE_DONE ) {
+            // Nothing currently exists.
+        }
+        else if ( step_status == SQLITE_BUSY || step_status == SQLITE_LOCKED )
+            // TODO: this could retry a number of times instead of just failing
+            return {ReturnCode::TIMEOUT};
+        else
+            return {ReturnCode::OPERATION_FAILED};
+    }
+
     unique_stmt_ptr stmt;
     if ( ! overwrite )
         stmt = unique_stmt_ptr(put_stmt.get(), sqlite3_reset);
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-expiration-implicit/output b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-expiration-implicit/output
index 0730873d8c..829eded2c7 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-expiration-implicit/output
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-expiration-implicit/output
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 ### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
 BEFORE, [code=Storage::SUCCESS, error_str=<uninitialized>, value=v]
 AFTER, [code=Storage::KEY_NOT_FOUND, error_str=<uninitialized>, value=<uninitialized>]
+OVERWRITE, [code=Storage::SUCCESS, error_str=<uninitialized>, value=vv]
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/sqlite-expiration-implicit.zeek b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/sqlite-expiration-implicit.zeek
index aa9e4d9a98..f6197ea9ad 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/sqlite-expiration-implicit.zeek
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/sqlite-expiration-implicit.zeek
@@ -47,4 +47,15 @@ event zeek_init()
 	# An expired value does not exist.
 	get = Storage::Sync::get(h, key);
 	print "AFTER", get;
+
+	# Even though the entry still exists in the backend we can put a 
+	# new value in its place without specifying overwrite.
+	Storage::Sync::put(
+		h,
+		Storage::PutArgs(
+			$key=key,
+			$value=value+value));
+
+	get = Storage::Sync::get(h, key);
+	print "OVERWRITE", get;
 	}