Index: modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/AbstractJcrNode.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/AbstractJcrNode.java	(revision 1746)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/AbstractJcrNode.java	(working copy)
@@ -1520,6 +1520,11 @@ abstract class AbstractJcrNode extends AbstractJcrItem implements javax.jcr.Node
     public final JcrVersionNode getBaseVersion() throws RepositoryException {
         checkVersionable();
 
+        // This can happen if the versionable type was added to the node, but it hasn't been saved yet
+        if (!hasProperty(JcrLexicon.BASE_VERSION)) {
+            throw new UnsupportedRepositoryOperationException(JcrI18n.requiresVersionable.text());
+        }
+
         return (JcrVersionNode)session().getNodeByUUID(getProperty(JcrLexicon.BASE_VERSION).getString());
     }
 
Index: modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrVersionManager.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrVersionManager.java	(revision 1746)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrVersionManager.java	(working copy)
@@ -422,6 +422,14 @@ final class JcrVersionManager {
             throw new LockException(JcrI18n.lockTokenNotHeld.text(node.getPath()));
         }
 
+        /*
+         * This happens when we've added mix:versionable, but not saved it to create the base
+         * version (and the rest of the version storage graph).  See MODE-704.
+         */
+        if (!node.hasProperty(JcrLexicon.BASE_VERSION)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         PropertyFactory propFactory = propertyFactory();
 
         PropertyInfo<JcrPropertyPayload> mvProp = node.nodeInfo().getProperty(ModeShapeIntLexicon.MULTI_VALUED_PROPERTIES);
Index: modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java	(revision 1746)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -762,4 +762,24 @@ public class ModeShapeTckTest extends AbstractJCRTest {
         assertThat(fileNode.hasNode(contentNode.getName()), is(true));
         assertThat(root.hasNode(pathToNode), is(false));
     }
+
+    public void testShouldReturnSilentlyWhenCheckingOutACheckedOutNode() throws Exception {
+        // q.v., MODE-704
+        session = helper.getReadWriteSession();
+
+        Node root = session.getRootNode();
+
+        Node testNode = root.addNode("checkedOutNodeTest", "nt:unstructured");
+        session.save();
+
+        // Add the mixin, but don't save it
+        testNode.addMixin("mix:versionable");
+        testNode.checkout();
+
+        testNode.save();
+
+        // Now check that it still returns silently on a saved node that was never checked in.
+        testNode.checkout();
+
+    }
 }