diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.ts
index 8da65dbd85..b1f4e40524 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/HigherOrderOperations.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export class HigherOrderOperations implements HigherOrderOperation {
 
     // Read the location fully, bailing on any errors
     const readerOutput = await this.locationReader.read(spec);
-    if (!spec.pendingLocation && readerOutput.errors.length) {
+    if (!(spec.presence === 'optional') && readerOutput.errors.length) {
       const item = readerOutput.errors[0];
       throw new InputError(
         `Failed to read location ${item.location.type}:${item.location.target}, ${item.error}`,