diff --git a/src/mongo/db/repl/oplog.cpp b/src/mongo/db/repl/oplog.cpp
index 87d5a1a..d9c4065 100644
--- a/src/mongo/db/repl/oplog.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/db/repl/oplog.cpp
@@ -673,21 +673,21 @@ namespace {
                         "Failed to apply insert due to missing _id: " << op.toString(),
                         o.hasField("_id"));
 
-                // TODO: It may be better to do an insert here, and then catch the duplicate
-                // key exception and do update then. Very few upserts will not be inserts...
-                BSONObjBuilder b;
-                b.append(o.getField("_id"));
+                WriteUnitOfWork wuow(txn);
+                StatusWith<RecordId> status = collection->insertDocument( txn, o, true );
 
-                const NamespaceString requestNs(ns);
-                UpdateRequest request(requestNs);
-
-                request.setQuery(b.done());
-                request.setUpdates(o);
-                request.setUpsert();
-                UpdateLifecycleImpl updateLifecycle(true, requestNs);
-                request.setLifecycle(&updateLifecycle);
-
-                update(txn, db, request, &debug);
+                if (status.isOK()) {
+                    wuow.commit();
+                }
+                else if (!status.isOK() && status.getStatus().code() != ErrorCodes::DuplicateKey) {
+                    log() << "skipping document duplicate key error during replicated insert: "
+                          << o.toString();
+                }
+                else if (!status.isOK()) {
+                    string msg = str::stream() << "failed to apply insert: " << op.toString();
+                    error() << msg;
+                    return Status(ErrorCodes::OperationFailed, msg);
+                }
             }
         }
         else if ( *opType == 'u' ) {