diff --git a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/method/ReadMethodBinding.java b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/method/ReadMethodBinding.java
index ab7099a5a3c..3bc0a03380e 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/method/ReadMethodBinding.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/method/ReadMethodBinding.java
@@ -20,18 +20,6 @@ package ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.method;
  * #L%
  */
 
-import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isNotBlank;
-
-import java.lang.reflect.Method;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Date;
-import java.util.List;
-
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.Validate;
-import org.hl7.fhir.instance.model.api.IBaseResource;
-import org.hl7.fhir.instance.model.api.IIdType;
-
 import ca.uhn.fhir.context.ConfigurationException;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.context.FhirContext;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.model.api.IResource;
@@ -53,8 +41,18 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.exceptions.InternalErrorException;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.exceptions.InvalidRequestException;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.exceptions.NotModifiedException;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.util.DateUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.Validate;
+import org.hl7.fhir.instance.model.api.IBaseResource;
+import org.hl7.fhir.instance.model.api.IIdType;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Date;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isNotBlank;
 
 public class ReadMethodBinding extends BaseResourceReturningMethodBinding {
 	private static final org.slf4j.Logger ourLog = org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(ReadMethodBinding.class);
@@ -172,11 +170,13 @@ public class ReadMethodBinding extends BaseResourceReturningMethodBinding {
 				String ifNoneMatch = theRequest.getHeader(Constants.HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH_LC);
 				if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(ifNoneMatch)) {
 					ifNoneMatch = ParameterUtil.parseETagValue(ifNoneMatch);
-					if (responseResource.getIdElement() != null && responseResource.getIdElement().hasVersionIdPart()) {
-						if (responseResource.getIdElement().getVersionIdPart().equals(ifNoneMatch)) {
-							ourLog.debug("Returning HTTP 304 because request specified {}={}", Constants.HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH, ifNoneMatch);
-							throw new NotModifiedException("Not Modified");
-						}
+					String versionIdPart = responseResource.getIdElement().getVersionIdPart();
+					if (StringUtils.isBlank(versionIdPart)) {
+						versionIdPart = responseResource.getMeta().getVersionId();
+					}
+					if (ifNoneMatch.equals(versionIdPart)) {
+						ourLog.debug("Returning HTTP 304 because request specified {}={}", Constants.HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH, ifNoneMatch);
+						throw new NotModifiedException("Not Modified");
 					}
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-structures-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/ETagServerR4Test.java b/hapi-fhir-structures-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/ETagServerR4Test.java
index 2d5e96373f8..ef8e07061cc 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-structures-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/ETagServerR4Test.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-structures-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/ETagServerR4Test.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.api.Constants;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.api.EncodingEnum;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.api.MethodOutcome;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.exceptions.PreconditionFailedException;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.test.utilities.JettyUtil;
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 import org.apache.http.Header;
@@ -33,9 +34,8 @@ import org.junit.*;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-
-import ca.uhn.fhir.test.utilities.JettyUtil;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 
 public class ETagServerR4Test {
 
@@ -58,12 +58,23 @@ public class ETagServerR4Test {
 
   @Test
   public void testAutomaticNotModified() throws Exception {
-    ourLastModifiedDate = new InstantDt("2012-11-25T02:34:45.2222Z").getValue();
+    doTestAutomaticNotModified();
+  }
 
-    HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet("http://localhost:" + ourPort + "/Patient/2");
-    httpGet.addHeader(Constants.HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH, "\"222\"");
-    HttpResponse status = ourClient.execute(httpGet);
-    assertEquals(Constants.STATUS_HTTP_304_NOT_MODIFIED, status.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
+  @Test
+  public void testAutomaticNotModifiedFromVersionInMeta() throws Exception {
+  	  ourPutVersionInPatientId = false;
+  	  ourPutVersionInPatientMeta = true;
+	  doTestAutomaticNotModified();
+  }
+
+  private void doTestAutomaticNotModified() throws Exception {
+	  ourLastModifiedDate = new InstantDt("2012-11-25T02:34:45.2222Z").getValue();
+
+	  HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet("http://localhost:" + ourPort + "/Patient/2");
+	  httpGet.addHeader(Constants.HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH, "\"222\"");
+	  HttpResponse status = ourClient.execute(httpGet);
+	  assertEquals(Constants.STATUS_HTTP_304_NOT_MODIFIED, status.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -99,7 +110,7 @@ public class ETagServerR4Test {
 
     Header cl = status.getFirstHeader(Constants.HEADER_ETAG_LC);
     assertNotNull(cl);
-    assertEquals("W/\"333\"", cl.getValue());
+    assertEquals("W/\"222\"", cl.getValue());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -216,7 +227,7 @@ public class ETagServerR4Test {
         patient.setId(theId.withVersion("222"));
       }
       if (ourPutVersionInPatientMeta) {
-        patient.getMeta().setVersionId("333");
+        patient.getMeta().setVersionId("222");
       }
       return patient;
     }