diff --git a/workflow/cron/operator.go b/workflow/cron/operator.go
index b45ecdae90c5..33056db9ab2a 100644
--- a/workflow/cron/operator.go
+++ b/workflow/cron/operator.go
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ func (woc *cronWfOperationCtx) validateCronWorkflow() error {
 		woc.reportCronWorkflowError(v1alpha1.ConditionTypeSpecError, fmt.Sprint(err))
 	} else {
 		woc.cronWf.Status.Conditions.RemoveCondition(v1alpha1.ConditionTypeSpecError)
-		woc.persistUpdate()
 	}
 	return err
 }
@@ -117,58 +116,68 @@ func getWorkflowObjectReference(wf *v1alpha1.Workflow, runWf *v1alpha1.Workflow)
 }
 
 func (woc *cronWfOperationCtx) persistUpdate() {
-	_, err := woc.cronWfIf.Update(woc.cronWf)
+	if woc.origCronWf.ResourceVersion != woc.cronWf.ResourceVersion {
+		woc.log.Error("cannot update cron workflow with mismatched resource versions")
+		return
+	}
+	cronWf, err := woc.cronWfIf.Update(woc.cronWf)
 	if err != nil {
-		if errors.IsConflict(err) {
-			reapplyErr := woc.reapplyUpdate()
-			if reapplyErr != nil {
-				woc.log.WithError(reapplyErr).WithField("original error", err).Error("failed to update CronWorkflow after reapply attempt")
-			}
-		} else {
+		if !errors.IsConflict(err) {
 			woc.log.WithError(err).Error("failed to update CronWorkflow")
+			return
+		}
+		var reapplyErr error
+		cronWf, reapplyErr = woc.reapplyUpdate()
+		if err != nil {
+			woc.log.WithError(reapplyErr).WithField("original error", err).Error("failed to update CronWorkflow after reapply attempt")
+			return
 		}
 	}
+	woc.cronWf = cronWf
 }
 
-func (woc *cronWfOperationCtx) reapplyUpdate() error {
+func (woc *cronWfOperationCtx) reapplyUpdate() (*v1alpha1.CronWorkflow, error) {
+	if woc.origCronWf.ResourceVersion != woc.cronWf.ResourceVersion {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot re-apply cron workflow update with mismatched resource versions")
+	}
 	orig, err := json.Marshal(woc.origCronWf)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	curr, err := json.Marshal(woc.cronWf)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	patch, err := jsonpatch.CreateMergePatch(orig, curr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	attempts := 0
 	for {
 		currCronWf, err := woc.cronWfIf.Get(woc.name, v1.GetOptions{})
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		currCronWfBytes, err := json.Marshal(currCronWf)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		newCronWfBytes, err := jsonpatch.MergePatch(currCronWfBytes, patch)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		var newCronWf v1alpha1.CronWorkflow
 		err = json.Unmarshal(newCronWfBytes, &newCronWf)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		_, err = woc.cronWfIf.Update(&newCronWf)
+		cronWf, err := woc.cronWfIf.Update(&newCronWf)
 		if err == nil {
-			return nil
+			return cronWf, nil
 		}
 		attempts++
 		if attempts == 5 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("ran out of retries when trying to reapply update: %s", err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ran out of retries when trying to reapply update: %s", err)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/workflow/cron/operator_test.go b/workflow/cron/operator_test.go
index b27640e692eb..8fc69ab44ab1 100644
--- a/workflow/cron/operator_test.go
+++ b/workflow/cron/operator_test.go
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ func TestCronWorkflowConditionSubmissionError(t *testing.T) {
 		wfClient:    cs.ArgoprojV1alpha1().Workflows(""),
 		cronWfIf:    cs.ArgoprojV1alpha1().CronWorkflows(""),
 		wfLister:    &fakeLister{},
+		origCronWf:  cronWf.DeepCopy(),
 		cronWf:      &cronWf,
 		log:         logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{}),
 		metrics:     testMetrics,
@@ -230,6 +231,7 @@ func TestSpecError(t *testing.T) {
 		wfClient:    cs.ArgoprojV1alpha1().Workflows(""),
 		cronWfIf:    cs.ArgoprojV1alpha1().CronWorkflows(""),
 		wfLister:    &fakeLister{},
+		origCronWf:  cronWf.DeepCopy(),
 		cronWf:      &cronWf,
 		log:         logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{}),
 		metrics:     testMetrics,
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ func TestReapplyUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	cronWf.Spec.Schedule = "1 * * * *"
-	err := woc.reapplyUpdate()
+	_, err := woc.reapplyUpdate()
 	if assert.NoError(t, err) {
 		updatedCronWf, err := woc.cronWfIf.Get("my-wf", v1.GetOptions{})
 		if assert.NoError(t, err) {