diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/smoketest/ozone-lib/shell_tests.robot b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/smoketest/ozone-lib/shell_tests.robot
index 22805efcb1b..651cda016f2 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/smoketest/ozone-lib/shell_tests.robot
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/smoketest/ozone-lib/shell_tests.robot
@@ -56,3 +56,11 @@ Compare Key With Local File with Different File
 Compare Key With Local File if File Does Not Exist
     ${matches} =                Compare Key With Local File     o3://${OM_SERVICE_ID}/vol1/bucket/passwd    /no-such-file
     Should Be Equal             ${matches}     ${FALSE}
+
+Rejects Put Key With Zero Expected Generation
+    ${output} =     Execute and checkrc    ozone sh key put --expectedGeneration 0 o3://${OM_SERVICE_ID}/vol1/bucket/passwd /etc/passwd    255
+    Should Contain    ${output}    must be positive
+
+Rejects Put Key With Negative Expected Generation
+    ${output} =     Execute and checkrc    ozone sh key put --expectedGeneration -1 o3://${OM_SERVICE_ID}/vol1/bucket/passwd /etc/passwd    255
+    Should Contain    ${output}    must be positive
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/tools/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/shell/keys/PutKeyHandler.java b/hadoop-ozone/tools/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/shell/keys/PutKeyHandler.java
index 833f4f7e779..35095dd7ff2 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/tools/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/shell/keys/PutKeyHandler.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/tools/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/shell/keys/PutKeyHandler.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public class PutKeyHandler extends KeyHandler {
 
   @Option(names = "--expectedGeneration",
       description = "Store key only if it already exists and its generation matches the value provided")
-  private long expectedGeneration;
+  private Long expectedGeneration;
 
   @Override
   protected void execute(OzoneClient client, OzoneAddress address)
@@ -131,9 +131,14 @@ private void async(
   private OzoneOutputStream createOrReplaceKey(OzoneBucket bucket, String keyName,
       long size, Map<String, String> keyMetadata, ReplicationConfig replicationConfig
   ) throws IOException {
-    return expectedGeneration > 0
-        ? bucket.rewriteKey(keyName, size, expectedGeneration, replicationConfig, keyMetadata)
-        : bucket.createKey(keyName, size, replicationConfig, keyMetadata);
+    if (expectedGeneration != null) {
+      final long existingGeneration = expectedGeneration;
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(existingGeneration > 0,
+          "expectedGeneration must be positive, but was %s", existingGeneration);
+      return bucket.rewriteKey(keyName, size, existingGeneration, replicationConfig, keyMetadata);
+    }
+
+    return bucket.createKey(keyName, size, replicationConfig, keyMetadata);
   }
 
   private void stream(