diff --git a/arangod/Replication/ReplicationApplierConfiguration.cpp b/arangod/Replication/ReplicationApplierConfiguration.cpp
index 903177c15d..1003f8a862 100644
--- a/arangod/Replication/ReplicationApplierConfiguration.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Replication/ReplicationApplierConfiguration.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ ReplicationApplierConfiguration::ReplicationApplierConfiguration()
       _adaptivePolling(true),
       _autoResync(false),
       _includeSystem(true),
-      _requireFromPresent(false),
+      _requireFromPresent(true),
       _incremental(false),
       _verbose(false),
       _restrictType(RestrictType::None),
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void ReplicationApplierConfiguration::reset() {
   _adaptivePolling = true;
   _autoResync = false;
   _includeSystem = true;
-  _requireFromPresent = false;
+  _requireFromPresent = true;
   _incremental = false;
   _verbose = false;
   _restrictType = RestrictType::None;
diff --git a/arangod/Replication/TailingSyncer.cpp b/arangod/Replication/TailingSyncer.cpp
index 72cca4c510..4a82ad19af 100644
--- a/arangod/Replication/TailingSyncer.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Replication/TailingSyncer.cpp
@@ -1604,17 +1604,18 @@ Result TailingSyncer::fetchOpenTransactions(TRI_voc_tick_t fromTick,
 
   TRI_voc_tick_t readTick = StringUtils::uint64(header);
 
-  if (!fromIncluded && _requireFromPresent && fromTick > 0 &&
-      (!_state.master.simulate32Client() || fromTick != readTick)) {
-    return Result(
-        TRI_ERROR_REPLICATION_START_TICK_NOT_PRESENT,
-        std::string("required init tick value '") +
-            StringUtils::itoa(fromTick) +
-            "' is not present (anymore?) on master at " +
-            _state.master.endpoint + ". Last tick available on master is '" +
-            StringUtils::itoa(readTick) +
-            "'. It may be required to do a full resync and increase the number "
-            "of historic logfiles/WAL file timeout on the master.");
+  if (!fromIncluded && fromTick > 0 && (!_state.master.simulate32Client() || fromTick != readTick)) {
+    const std::string msg = std::string("required init tick value '") +
+                            StringUtils::itoa(fromTick) +
+                            "' is not present (anymore?) on master at " +
+                            _state.master.endpoint + ". Last tick available on master is '" +
+                            StringUtils::itoa(readTick) +
+                            "'. It may be required to do a full resync and increase the number "
+                            "of historic logfiles/WAL file timeout on the master.";
+    if (_requireFromPresent) { // hard fail
+      return Result(TRI_ERROR_REPLICATION_START_TICK_NOT_PRESENT, msg);
+    }
+    LOG_TOPIC(WARN, Logger::REPLICATION) << msg;
   }
 
   startTick = readTick;
@@ -1838,18 +1839,20 @@ Result TailingSyncer::processMasterLog(std::shared_ptr<Syncer::JobSynchronizer>
     _applier->_state._lastAvailableContinuousTick = tick;
   }
 
-  if (!fromIncluded && _requireFromPresent && fetchTick > 0 &&
-      (!_state.master.simulate32Client() || originalFetchTick != tick)) {
-    return Result(TRI_ERROR_REPLICATION_START_TICK_NOT_PRESENT,
-                  std::string("required follow tick value '") +
-                      StringUtils::itoa(fetchTick) +
-                      "' is not present (anymore?) on master at " +
-                      _state.master.endpoint +
-                      ". Last tick available on master is '" +
-                      StringUtils::itoa(tick) +
-                      "'. It may be required to do a full resync and increase "
-                      "the number " +
-                      "of historic logfiles/WAL file timeout on the master");
+  if (!fromIncluded && fetchTick > 0 && (!_state.master.simulate32Client() || originalFetchTick != tick)) {
+    const std::string msg = std::string("required follow tick value '") +
+                            StringUtils::itoa(fetchTick) +
+                            "' is not present (anymore?) on master at " +
+                            _state.master.endpoint +
+                            ". Last tick available on master is '" +
+                            StringUtils::itoa(tick) +
+                            "'. It may be required to do a full resync and increase "
+                            "the number " +
+                            "of historic logfiles/WAL file timeout on the master";
+    if (_requireFromPresent) { // hard fail
+      return Result(TRI_ERROR_REPLICATION_START_TICK_NOT_PRESENT, msg);
+    }
+    LOG_TOPIC(WARN, Logger::REPLICATION) << msg;
   }
  
   // already fetch next batch of data in the background... 
diff --git a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-32.js b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-32.js
index f7e15a7544..4f88b8b588 100644
--- a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-32.js
+++ b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-32.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ const compare = function (masterFunc, masterFunc2, slaveFuncOngoing, slaveFuncFi
   applierConfiguration.username = 'root';
   applierConfiguration.password = '';
   applierConfiguration.force32mode = true;
+  applierConfiguration.requireFromPresent = false;
 
   if (!applierConfiguration.hasOwnProperty('chunkSize')) {
     applierConfiguration.chunkSize = 16384;
diff --git a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global-spec.js b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global-spec.js
index 64fd317253..a5d39b78d3 100644
--- a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global-spec.js
+++ b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global-spec.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ const config = {
   username: username,
   password: password,
   verbose: true,
+  requireFromPresent: false
 };
 
 // We allow the replication a delay of this many seconds at most
diff --git a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global.js b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global.js
index e78396277a..e49653fac6 100644
--- a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global.js
+++ b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing-global.js
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ const compare = function (masterFunc, masterFunc2, slaveFuncOngoing, slaveFuncFi
   applierConfiguration.password = '';
   applierConfiguration.includeSystem = false;
   applierConfiguration.force32mode = false;
+  applierConfiguration.requireFromPresent = false;
 
   var syncResult = replication.syncGlobal({
     endpoint: masterEndpoint,
diff --git a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing.js b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing.js
index 5d9a8e6444..d30cfa1b7a 100644
--- a/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing.js
+++ b/tests/js/server/replication/replication-ongoing.js
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ const compare = function (masterFunc, masterFunc2, slaveFuncOngoing, slaveFuncFi
   applierConfiguration.username = 'root';
   applierConfiguration.password = '';
   applierConfiguration.force32mode = false;
+  applierConfiguration.requireFromPresent = false;
 
   if (!applierConfiguration.hasOwnProperty('chunkSize')) {
     applierConfiguration.chunkSize = 16384;