diff --git a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-terms-controller.php b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-terms-controller.php
index 7c145e198c..826902a164 100644
--- a/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-terms-controller.php
+++ b/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-terms-controller.php
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ class WP_REST_Terms_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			if ( $term_id = $term->get_error_data( 'term_exists' ) ) {
 				$existing_term = get_term( $term_id, $this->taxonomy );
 				$term->add_data( $existing_term->term_id, 'term_exists' );
+				$term->add_data( array( 'status' => 409 ) );
 			}
 
 			return $term;
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 210b590881..25baf51b73 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.9-alpha-41736';
+$wp_version = '4.9-alpha-41737';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.