diff --git a/packages/toolkit/src/query/core/buildSlice.ts b/packages/toolkit/src/query/core/buildSlice.ts
index 41b75c94ce..195c0863e3 100644
--- a/packages/toolkit/src/query/core/buildSlice.ts
+++ b/packages/toolkit/src/query/core/buildSlice.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ export function buildSlice({
     extraReducers(builder) {
       builder
         .addCase(queryThunk.pending, (draft, { meta, meta: { arg } }) => {
-          if (arg.subscribe) {
+          const upserting = isUpsertQuery(arg)
+          if (arg.subscribe || upserting) {
             // only initialize substate if we want to subscribe to it
             draft[arg.queryCacheKey] ??= {
               status: QueryStatus.uninitialized,
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ export function buildSlice({
             substate.status = QueryStatus.pending
 
             substate.requestId =
-              isUpsertQuery(arg) && substate.requestId
+              upserting && substate.requestId
                 ? // for `upsertQuery` **updates**, keep the current `requestId`
                   substate.requestId
                 : // for normal queries or `upsertQuery` **inserts** always update the `requestId`
diff --git a/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/optimisticUpserts.test.tsx b/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/optimisticUpserts.test.tsx
index c500ba0986..5ca0fd050e 100644
--- a/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/optimisticUpserts.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/optimisticUpserts.test.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,41 @@ describe('basic lifecycle', () => {
     onSuccess.mockReset()
   })
 
+  test('Does basic inserts and upserts', async () => {
+    const newPost: Post = {
+      id: '3',
+      contents: 'Inserted content',
+      title: 'Inserted title',
+    }
+    const insertPromise = storeRef.store.dispatch(
+      api.util.upsertQueryData('post', newPost.id, newPost)
+    )
+
+    await insertPromise
+
+    const selectPost3 = api.endpoints.post.select(newPost.id)
+    const insertedPostEntry = selectPost3(storeRef.store.getState())
+    expect(insertedPostEntry.isSuccess).toBe(true)
+    expect(insertedPostEntry.data).toEqual(newPost)
+
+    const updatedPost: Post = {
+      id: '3',
+      contents: 'Updated content',
+      title: 'Updated title',
+    }
+
+    const updatePromise = storeRef.store.dispatch(
+      api.util.upsertQueryData('post', updatedPost.id, updatedPost)
+    )
+
+    await updatePromise
+
+    const updatedPostEntry = selectPost3(storeRef.store.getState())
+
+    expect(updatedPostEntry.isSuccess).toBe(true)
+    expect(updatedPostEntry.data).toEqual(updatedPost)
+  })
+
   test('success', async () => {
     const { result } = renderHook(
       () => extendedApi.endpoints.test.useMutation(),