diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index e5faab713..9bc3970d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches:
     - master
-  push:
-    branches:
-    - master
+    - release
 
 jobs:
   build:
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-object.go b/cmd/erasure-object.go
index ae44f575b..e84518459 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-object.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-object.go
@@ -401,11 +401,12 @@ func (er erasureObjects) getObjectInfo(ctx context.Context, bucket, object strin
 	}
 
 	if fi.Deleted {
+		objInfo = fi.ToObjectInfo(bucket, object)
 		if opts.VersionID == "" {
 			return objInfo, toObjectErr(errFileNotFound, bucket, object)
 		}
 		// Make sure to return object info to provide extra information.
-		return fi.ToObjectInfo(bucket, object), toObjectErr(errMethodNotAllowed, bucket, object)
+		return objInfo, toObjectErr(errMethodNotAllowed, bucket, object)
 	}
 
 	return fi.ToObjectInfo(bucket, object), nil
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-zones.go b/cmd/erasure-zones.go
index 05c69e434..c40e91243 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-zones.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-zones.go
@@ -151,6 +151,36 @@ func (z *erasureZones) getZonesAvailableSpace(ctx context.Context) zonesAvailabl
 	return zones
 }
 
+// getZoneIdx returns the found previous object and its corresponding zone idx,
+// if none are found falls back to most available space zone.
+func (z *erasureZones) getZoneIdx(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, opts ObjectOptions) (idx int, err error) {
+	if z.SingleZone() {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+	for i, zone := range z.zones {
+		objInfo, err := zone.GetObjectInfo(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+		switch err.(type) {
+		case ObjectNotFound:
+			// VersionId was not specified but found delete marker or no versions exist.
+		case MethodNotAllowed:
+			// VersionId was specified but found delete marker
+		default:
+			if err != nil {
+				// any other un-handled errors return right here.
+				return -1, err
+			}
+		}
+		// delete marker not specified means no versions
+		// exist continue to next zone.
+		if !objInfo.DeleteMarker && err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		// Success case and when DeleteMarker is true return.
+		return i, nil
+	}
+	return z.getAvailableZoneIdx(ctx), nil
+}
+
 func (z *erasureZones) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if z.SingleZone() {
 		return z.zones[0].Shutdown(ctx)
@@ -477,19 +507,13 @@ func (z *erasureZones) PutObject(ctx context.Context, bucket string, object stri
 		return z.zones[0].PutObject(ctx, bucket, object, data, opts)
 	}
 
-	for _, zone := range z.zones {
-		objInfo, err := zone.GetObjectInfo(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
-		if err != nil {
-			if isErrObjectNotFound(err) {
-				continue
-			}
-			return objInfo, err
-		}
-		// Overwrite request upload to right zone.
-		return zone.PutObject(ctx, bucket, object, data, opts)
+	idx, err := z.getZoneIdx(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ObjectInfo{}, err
 	}
-	// Object not found pick the least used and upload to this zone.
-	return z.zones[z.getAvailableZoneIdx(ctx)].PutObject(ctx, bucket, object, data, opts)
+
+	// Overwrite the object at the right zone
+	return z.zones[idx].PutObject(ctx, bucket, object, data, opts)
 }
 
 func (z *erasureZones) DeleteObject(ctx context.Context, bucket string, object string, opts ObjectOptions) (objInfo ObjectInfo, err error) {
@@ -565,27 +589,17 @@ func (z *erasureZones) CopyObject(ctx context.Context, srcBucket, srcObject, dst
 		return z.zones[0].CopyObject(ctx, srcBucket, srcObject, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo, srcOpts, dstOpts)
 	}
 
-	zoneIndex := -1
-	for i, zone := range z.zones {
-		objInfo, err := zone.GetObjectInfo(ctx, dstBucket, dstObject, srcOpts)
-		if err != nil {
-			if isErrObjectNotFound(err) {
-				continue
-			}
-			return objInfo, err
-		}
-		zoneIndex = i
-		break
+	zoneIdx, err := z.getZoneIdx(ctx, dstBucket, dstObject, dstOpts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return objInfo, err
 	}
 
 	putOpts := ObjectOptions{ServerSideEncryption: dstOpts.ServerSideEncryption, UserDefined: srcInfo.UserDefined}
-	if zoneIndex >= 0 {
-		if cpSrcDstSame && srcInfo.metadataOnly {
-			return z.zones[zoneIndex].CopyObject(ctx, srcBucket, srcObject, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo, srcOpts, dstOpts)
-		}
-		return z.zones[zoneIndex].PutObject(ctx, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo.PutObjReader, putOpts)
+	if cpSrcDstSame && srcInfo.metadataOnly {
+		return z.zones[zoneIdx].CopyObject(ctx, srcBucket, srcObject, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo, srcOpts, dstOpts)
 	}
-	return z.zones[z.getAvailableZoneIdx(ctx)].PutObject(ctx, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo.PutObjReader, putOpts)
+
+	return z.zones[zoneIdx].PutObject(ctx, dstBucket, dstObject, srcInfo.PutObjReader, putOpts)
 }
 
 func (z *erasureZones) ListObjectsV2(ctx context.Context, bucket, prefix, continuationToken, delimiter string, maxKeys int, fetchOwner bool, startAfter string) (ListObjectsV2Info, error) {
@@ -1283,7 +1297,13 @@ func (z *erasureZones) NewMultipartUpload(ctx context.Context, bucket, object st
 	if z.SingleZone() {
 		return z.zones[0].NewMultipartUpload(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
 	}
-	return z.zones[z.getAvailableZoneIdx(ctx)].NewMultipartUpload(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+
+	idx, err := z.getZoneIdx(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return z.zones[idx].NewMultipartUpload(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
 }
 
 // Copies a part of an object from source hashedSet to destination hashedSet.