diff --git a/db/clientcursor.cpp b/db/clientcursor.cpp
index 54b2d1807cc..e803afd459c 100644
--- a/db/clientcursor.cpp
+++ b/db/clientcursor.cpp
@@ -447,16 +447,29 @@ namespace mongo {
         return rec;
     }
 
-    bool ClientCursor::yieldSometimes( RecordNeeds need ) {
+    bool ClientCursor::yieldSometimes( RecordNeeds need, bool *yielded ) {
+        if ( yielded ) {
+            *yielded = false;   
+        }
         if ( ! _yieldSometimesTracker.ping() ) {
             Record* rec = _recordForYield( need );
-            if ( rec ) 
+            if ( rec ) {
+                if ( yielded ) {
+                    *yielded = true;   
+                }
                 return yield( yieldSuggest() , rec );
+            }
             return true;
         }
 
         int micros = yieldSuggest();
-        return ( micros > 0 ) ? yield( micros , _recordForYield( need ) ) : true;
+        if ( micros > 0 ) {
+            if ( yielded ) {
+                *yielded = true;   
+            }
+            return yield( micros , _recordForYield( need ) );
+        }
+        return true;
     }
 
     void ClientCursor::staticYield( int micros , const StringData& ns , Record * rec ) {
diff --git a/db/clientcursor.h b/db/clientcursor.h
index b3bd996c768..75c7da85cc6 100644
--- a/db/clientcursor.h
+++ b/db/clientcursor.h
@@ -186,9 +186,10 @@ namespace mongo {
         /**
          * @param needRecord whether or not the next record has to be read from disk for sure
          *                   if this is true, will yield of next record isn't in memory
+         * @param yielded true if a yield occurred, and potentially if a yield did not occur
          * @return same as yield()
          */
-        bool yieldSometimes( RecordNeeds need );
+        bool yieldSometimes( RecordNeeds need, bool *yielded = 0 );
 
         static int yieldSuggest();
         static void staticYield( int micros , const StringData& ns , Record * rec );
diff --git a/db/ops/update.cpp b/db/ops/update.cpp
index 3221fe0f277..7f46cf5b9a4 100644
--- a/db/ops/update.cpp
+++ b/db/ops/update.cpp
@@ -1060,11 +1060,10 @@ namespace mongo {
         
         debug.updateobj = updateobj;
 
-        /* idea with these here it to make them loop invariant for multi updates, and thus be a bit faster for that case */
-        /* NOTE: when yield() is added herein, these must be refreshed after each call to yield! */
+        // idea with these here it to make them loop invariant for multi updates, and thus be a bit faster for that case
+        // The pointers may be left invalid on a failed yield recovery.
         NamespaceDetails *d = nsdetails(ns); // can be null if an upsert...
         NamespaceDetailsTransient *nsdt = &NamespaceDetailsTransient::get_w(ns);
-        /* end note */
 
         auto_ptr<ModSet> mods;
         bool isOperatorUpdate = updateobj.firstElementFieldName()[0] == '$';
@@ -1105,6 +1104,9 @@ namespace mongo {
         shared_ptr< MultiCursor::CursorOp > opPtr( new UpdateOp( mods.get() && mods->hasDynamicArray() ) );
         shared_ptr< MultiCursor > c( new MultiCursor( ns, patternOrig, BSONObj(), opPtr, true ) );
 
+        d = nsdetails(ns);
+        nsdt = &NamespaceDetailsTransient::get_w(ns);
+
         if( c->ok() ) {
             set<DiskLoc> seenObjects;
             MatchDetails details;
@@ -1120,13 +1122,19 @@ namespace mongo {
                     cc.reset( new ClientCursor( QueryOption_NoCursorTimeout , cPtr , ns ) );
                 }
 
-                if ( ! cc->yieldSometimes( ClientCursor::WillNeed ) ) {
+                bool didYield;
+                if ( ! cc->yieldSometimes( ClientCursor::WillNeed, &didYield ) ) {
                     cc.release();
                     break;
                 }
                 if ( !c->ok() ) {
                     break;
                 }
+                
+                if ( didYield ) {
+                    d = nsdetails(ns);
+                    nsdt = &NamespaceDetailsTransient::get_w(ns);
+                }
                 // *****************
 
                 // May have already matched in UpdateOp, but do again to get details set correctly
@@ -1146,6 +1154,8 @@ namespace mongo {
                         if ( !c->ok() ) {
                             break;
                         }
+                        d = nsdetails(ns);
+                        nsdt = &NamespaceDetailsTransient::get_w(ns);
                     }
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -1276,6 +1286,8 @@ namespace mongo {
                         if ( !c->ok() ) {
                             break;
                         }
+                        d = nsdetails(ns);
+                        nsdt = &NamespaceDetailsTransient::get_w(ns);
                     }
 
                     if (atomic)
diff --git a/jstests/updatef.js b/jstests/updatef.js
index 638b026cf53..69425932f19 100644
--- a/jstests/updatef.js
+++ b/jstests/updatef.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 // Test unsafe management of nsdt on update command yield SERVER-3208
 
-if ( 0 ) { // SERVER-3208
-
 prefixNS = db.jstests_updatef;
 prefixNS.save( {} );
 
@@ -24,5 +22,3 @@ for( i=0; i < 20; ++i ) {
 }
 
 s();
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file