diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index b2f0cd68..95e97836 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -571,6 +571,7 @@ DataAccessObject.upsert = function(data, options, cb) {
           var context = {
             Model: Model,
             data: data,
+            isNewInstance: info && info.isNewInstance,
             hookState: ctx.hookState,
             options: options,
           };
@@ -3100,6 +3101,7 @@ function(data, options, cb) {
                 data: context.data,
                 hookState: hookState,
                 options: options,
+                isNewInstance: false,
               };
               Model.notifyObserversOf('loaded', ctx, function(err) {
                 if (err) return cb(err);
diff --git a/test/memory.test.js b/test/memory.test.js
index 7312e4d2..8bdf3581 100644
--- a/test/memory.test.js
+++ b/test/memory.test.js
@@ -880,6 +880,7 @@ describe('Unoptimized connector', function() {
   // disable optimized methods
   ds.connector.updateOrCreate = false;
   ds.connector.findOrCreate = false;
+  ds.connector.upsertWithWhere = false;
 
   require('./persistence-hooks.suite')(ds, should, {
     replaceOrCreateReportsNewInstance: true,
diff --git a/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js b/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
index 5bb56c84..4663bb64 100644
--- a/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
+++ b/test/persistence-hooks.suite.js
@@ -1356,6 +1356,7 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should, connectorCapabilities) {
 
           ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
             data: { name: 'changed' },
+            isNewInstance: false,
           }));
 
           done();
@@ -2010,19 +2011,13 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should, connectorCapabilities) {
           function(err, instance) {
             if (err) return done(err);
 
-            if (dataSource.connector.updateOrCreate) {
-              ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
-                data: { id: 'new-id', name: 'a name' },
-              }));
-            } else {
-              ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
-                data: {
-                  id: 'new-id',
-                  name: 'a name',
-                },
-                isNewInstance: true,
-              }));
-            }
+            ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
+              data: {
+                id: 'new-id',
+                name: 'a name',
+              },
+              isNewInstance: true,
+            }));
             done();
           });
       });
@@ -2034,24 +2029,13 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should, connectorCapabilities) {
           { id: existingInstance.id, name: 'updated name' },
           function(err, instance) {
             if (err) return done(err);
-
-            if (dataSource.connector.updateOrCreate) {
-              ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
-                data: {
-                  id: existingInstance.id,
-                  name: 'updated name',
-                },
-              }));
-            } else {
-              ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(
-                aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
-                  data: {
-                    id: existingInstance.id,
-                    name: 'updated name',
-                  },
-                })
-              );
-            }
+            ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, {
+              data: {
+                id: existingInstance.id,
+                name: 'updated name',
+              },
+              isNewInstance: false,
+            }));
             done();
           });
       });
@@ -3259,13 +3243,8 @@ module.exports = function(dataSource, should, connectorCapabilities) {
                 id: existingInstance.id,
                 name: 'updated name',
               },
+              isNewInstance: false,
             });
-            // For non-atomic implementation of upsertWithWhere on update, it calls
-            // updateAttributes. loaded hook of updateAttributes does not provide
-            // isNewInstance.
-            if (dataSource.connector.upsertWithWhere) {
-              expectedContext.isNewInstance = false;
-            }
             ctxRecorder.records.should.eql(aCtxForModel(TestModel, expectedContext));
             done();
           });