diff --git a/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py b/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
index e9ee894125..17c343c943 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/controllers/base.py
@@ -1294,10 +1294,11 @@ class ResumingGetter(object):
                         return True
         else:
             if 'handoff_index' in node and \
-                    possible_source.status == HTTP_NOT_FOUND and \
+                    (is_server_error(possible_source.status) or
+                     possible_source.status == HTTP_NOT_FOUND) and \
                     not Timestamp(src_headers.get('x-backend-timestamp', 0)):
-                # throw out 404s from handoff nodes unless the data is really
-                # on disk and had been DELETEd
+                # throw out 5XX and 404s from handoff nodes unless the data is
+                # really on disk and had been DELETEd
                 return False
             self.statuses.append(possible_source.status)
             self.reasons.append(possible_source.reason)
diff --git a/test/unit/__init__.py b/test/unit/__init__.py
index e3c8fb4ccf..c81d181fea 100644
--- a/test/unit/__init__.py
+++ b/test/unit/__init__.py
@@ -1182,6 +1182,14 @@ class StubResponse(object):
     def read(self, amt=0):
         return self.readable.read(amt)
 
+    def __repr__(self):
+        info = ['Status: %s' % self.status]
+        if self.headers:
+            info.append('Headers: %r' % dict(self.headers))
+        if self.body:
+            info.append('Body: %r' % self.body)
+        return '<StubResponse %s>' % ', '.join(info)
+
 
 def encode_frag_archive_bodies(policy, body):
     """
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
index 19a7050538..b7ab7d335a 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/controllers/test_obj.py
@@ -784,6 +784,23 @@ class CommonObjectControllerMixin(BaseObjectControllerMixin):
             self.assertEqual(req['method'], 'HEAD')
             self.assertEqual(req['path'], '/a/c/o')
 
+    def test_some_404s_and_507s(self):
+        self.policy.object_ring.max_more_nodes = (3 * self.replicas())
+        req = swob.Request.blank('/v1/a/c/o', method='HEAD')
+        responses = [StubResponse(
+            404, headers={'X-Backend-Timestamp': '2'})] * self.replicas()
+        responses += [StubResponse(507, headers={})] * (
+            self.policy.object_ring.max_more_nodes - self.replicas())
+        self.assertEqual(len(responses), 3 * self.replicas())  # sanity
+
+        def get_response(req):
+            return responses.pop(0)
+
+        with capture_http_requests(get_response):
+            resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_int, 404)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.headers['X-Backend-Timestamp'], '2')
+
     def test_container_sync_delete(self):
         ts = (utils.Timestamp(t) for t in itertools.count(int(time.time())))
         test_indexes = [None] + [int(p) for p in POLICIES]