diff --git a/docs/guide.pug b/docs/guide.pug
index c4f501f4cdd..39c021d6682 100644
--- a/docs/guide.pug
+++ b/docs/guide.pug
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ block content
     - [useNestedStrict](#useNestedStrict)
     - [validateBeforeSave](#validateBeforeSave)
     - [versionKey](#versionKey)
+    - [optimisticConcurrency](#optimisticConcurrency)
     - [collation](#collation)
     - [selectPopulatedPaths](#selectPopulatedPaths)
     - [skipVersioning](#skipVersioning)
@@ -891,9 +892,8 @@ block content
     thing.save(); // { _somethingElse: 0, name: 'mongoose v3' }
     ```
 
-    Note that Mongoose versioning is **not** a full [optimistic concurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimistic_concurrency_control)
-    solution. Use [mongoose-update-if-current](https://github.com/eoin-obrien/mongoose-update-if-current)
-    for OCC support. Mongoose versioning only operates on arrays:
+    Note that Mongoose's default versioning is **not** a full [optimistic concurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimistic_concurrency_control)
+    solution. Mongoose's default versioning only operates on arrays as shown below.
 
     ```javascript
     // 2 copies of the same document
@@ -911,6 +911,8 @@ block content
     await doc2.save();
     ```
 
+    If you need optimistic concurrency support for `save()`, you can set the [`optimisticConcurrency` option](#optimisticConcurrency)
+
     Document versioning can also be disabled by setting the `versionKey` to
     `false`.
     _DO NOT disable versioning unless you [know what you are doing](http://aaronheckmann.blogspot.com/2012/06/mongoose-v3-part-1-versioning.html)._
@@ -946,6 +948,70 @@ block content
     });
     ```
 
+    <h3 id="optimisticConcurrency"><a href="#optimisticConcurrency">option: optimisticConcurrency</a></h3>
+
+    [Optimistic concurrency](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimistic_concurrency_control) is a strategy to ensure
+    the document you're updating didn't change between when you loaded it using `find()` or `findOne()`, and when
+    you update it using `save()`.
+
+    For example, suppose you have a `House` model that contains a list of `photos`, and a `status` that represents
+    whether this house shows up in searches. Suppose that a house that has status `'APPROVED'` must have at least
+    two `photos`. You might implement the logic of approving a house document as shown below:
+
+    ```javascript
+    async function markApproved(id) {
+      const house = await House.findOne({ _id });
+      if (house.photos.length < 2) {
+        throw new Error('House must have at least two photos!');
+      }
+      
+      house.status = 'APPROVED';
+      await house.save();
+    }
+    ```
+
+    The `markApproved()` function looks right in isolation, but there might be a potential issue: what if another
+    function removes the house's photos between the `findOne()` call and the `save()` call? For example, the below
+    code will succeed:
+
+    ```javascript
+    const house = await House.findOne({ _id });
+    if (house.photos.length < 2) {
+      throw new Error('House must have at least two photos!');
+    }
+
+    const house2 = await House.findOne({ _id });
+    house2.photos = [];
+    await house2.save();
+
+    // Marks the house as 'APPROVED' even though it has 0 photos!
+    house.status = 'APPROVED';
+    await house.save();
+    ```
+
+    If you set the `optimisticConcurrency` option on the `House` model's schema, the above script will throw an
+    error.
+
+    ```javascript
+    const House = mongoose.model('House', Schema({
+      status: String,
+      photos: [String]
+    }, { optimisticConcurrency: true }));
+
+    const house = await House.findOne({ _id });
+    if (house.photos.length < 2) {
+      throw new Error('House must have at least two photos!');
+    }
+
+    const house2 = await House.findOne({ _id });
+    house2.photos = [];
+    await house2.save();
+
+    // Throws 'VersionError: No matching document found for id "..." version 0'
+    house.status = 'APPROVED';
+    await house.save();
+    ```
+
     <h3 id="collation"><a href="#collation">option: collation</a></h3>
 
     Sets a default [collation](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/reference/collation/)
diff --git a/lib/model.js b/lib/model.js
index b6633d7ad80..da175b20e38 100644
--- a/lib/model.js
+++ b/lib/model.js
@@ -542,6 +542,11 @@ function operand(self, where, delta, data, val, op) {
   // already marked for versioning?
   if (VERSION_ALL === (VERSION_ALL & self.$__.version)) return;
 
+  if (self.schema.options.optimisticConcurrency) {
+    self.$__.version = VERSION_ALL;
+    return;
+  }
+
   switch (op) {
     case '$set':
     case '$unset':
@@ -2950,10 +2955,10 @@ Model.findByIdAndRemove = function(id, options, callback) {
  *
  *     // Insert one new `Character` document
  *     await Character.create({ name: 'Jean-Luc Picard' });
- * 
+ *
  *     // Insert multiple new `Character` documents
  *     await Character.create([{ name: 'Will Riker' }, { name: 'Geordi LaForge' }]);
- * 
+ *
  *     // Create a new character within a transaction. Note that you **must**
  *     // pass an array as the first parameter to `create()` if you want to
  *     // specify options.
diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index c64e829b848..b7099cb8bac 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ let id = 0;
  * - [typePojoToMixed](/docs/guide.html#typePojoToMixed) - boolean - defaults to true. Determines whether a type set to a POJO becomes a Mixed path or a Subdocument
  * - [useNestedStrict](/docs/guide.html#useNestedStrict) - boolean - defaults to false
  * - [validateBeforeSave](/docs/guide.html#validateBeforeSave) - bool - defaults to `true`
- * - [versionKey](/docs/guide.html#versionKey): string - defaults to "__v"
+ * - [versionKey](/docs/guide.html#versionKey): string or object - defaults to "__v"
  * - [collation](/docs/guide.html#collation): object - defaults to null (which means use no collation)
  * - [selectPopulatedPaths](/docs/guide.html#selectPopulatedPaths): boolean - defaults to `true`
  * - [skipVersioning](/docs/guide.html#skipVersioning): object - paths to exclude from versioning
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ Schema.prototype.defaultOptions = function(options) {
     bufferCommands: true,
     capped: false, // { size, max, autoIndexId }
     versionKey: '__v',
+    optimisticConcurrency: false,
     discriminatorKey: '__t',
     minimize: true,
     autoIndex: null,
@@ -423,6 +424,10 @@ Schema.prototype.defaultOptions = function(options) {
     options.read = readPref(options.read);
   }
 
+  if (options.optimisticConcurrency && !options.versionKey) {
+    throw new MongooseError('Must set `versionKey` if using `optimisticConcurrency`');
+  }
+
   return options;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/versioning.test.js b/test/versioning.test.js
index ec3cd6ea64d..538e49c177c 100644
--- a/test/versioning.test.js
+++ b/test/versioning.test.js
@@ -593,4 +593,26 @@ describe('versioning', function() {
       }).
       catch(done);
   });
+
+  it('optimistic concurrency (gh-9001) (gh-5424)', function() {
+    const schema = new Schema({ name: String }, { optimisticConcurrency: true });
+    const M = db.model('Test', schema);
+
+    const doc = new M({ name: 'foo' });
+
+    return co(function*() {
+      yield doc.save();
+
+      const d1 = yield M.findOne();
+      const d2 = yield M.findOne();
+
+      d1.name = 'bar';
+      yield d1.save();
+
+      d2.name = 'qux';
+      const err = yield d2.save().then(() => null, err => err);
+      assert.ok(err);
+      assert.equal(err.name, 'VersionError');
+    });
+  });
 });