diff --git a/swift/container/replicator.py b/swift/container/replicator.py
index 235630958c..d4cd835cb6 100644
--- a/swift/container/replicator.py
+++ b/swift/container/replicator.py
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ class ContainerReplicator(db_replicator.Replicator):
                 broker.merge_timestamps(*(remote_info[key] for key in
                                           sync_timestamps))
 
-            # Grab remote's shard ranges, too
-            self._fetch_and_merge_shard_ranges(http, broker)
+            if 'shard_max_row' in remote_info:
+                # Grab remote's shard ranges, too
+                self._fetch_and_merge_shard_ranges(http, broker)
 
         return super(ContainerReplicator, self)._handle_sync_response(
             node, response, info, broker, http, different_region)
@@ -101,8 +102,16 @@ class ContainerReplicator(db_replicator.Replicator):
 
     def _choose_replication_mode(self, node, rinfo, info, local_sync, broker,
                                  http, different_region):
-        # Always replicate shard ranges
-        shard_range_success = self._sync_shard_ranges(broker, http, info['id'])
+        if 'shard_max_row' in rinfo:
+            # Always replicate shard ranges to new-enough swift
+            shard_range_success = self._sync_shard_ranges(
+                broker, http, info['id'])
+        else:
+            shard_range_success = False
+            self.logger.warning(
+                '%s is unable to replicate shard ranges to peer %s; '
+                'peer may need upgrading', broker.db_file,
+                '%(ip)s:%(port)s/%(device)s' % node)
         if broker.sharding_initiated():
             self.logger.warning(
                 '%s is able to shard -- refusing to replicate objects to peer '
diff --git a/test/unit/container/test_replicator.py b/test/unit/container/test_replicator.py
index 8e399e6512..2cafabf164 100644
--- a/test/unit/container/test_replicator.py
+++ b/test/unit/container/test_replicator.py
@@ -1860,6 +1860,77 @@ class TestReplicatorSync(test_db_replicator.TestReplicatorSync):
         self._check_replication_local_sharding_remote_unsharded(
             {'per_diff': 1})
 
+    def _check_only_sync(self, local_broker, remote_node_index, repl_conf):
+        daemon, repl_calls, rsync_calls = self.check_replicate(
+            local_broker, remote_node_index, repl_conf,
+            expect_success=False)
+
+        # When talking to an old (pre-2.18.0) container server, abort
+        # replication when we're sharding or sharded. Wait for the
+        # rolling upgrade that's presumably in-progress to finish instead.
+        self.assertEqual(1, daemon.stats['deferred'])
+        self.assertEqual(0, daemon.stats['diff'])
+        self.assertEqual(0, daemon.stats['rsync'])
+        self.assertEqual(['sync'],
+                         [call[0] for call in repl_calls])
+        self.assertFalse(rsync_calls)
+        lines = daemon.logger.get_lines_for_level('warning')
+        self.assertIn('unable to replicate shard ranges', lines[0])
+        self.assertIn('refusing to replicate objects', lines[1])
+        self.assertFalse(lines[2:])
+        # sync
+        local_id = local_broker.get_info()['id']
+        self.assertEqual(local_id, repl_calls[0][1][2])
+        remote_broker = self._get_broker(
+            local_broker.account, local_broker.container, node_index=1)
+        self.assertNotEqual(local_id, remote_broker.get_info()['id'])
+        self.assertEqual([], remote_broker.get_shard_ranges())
+
+    def _check_replication_local_sharding_remote_presharding(self, repl_conf):
+        local_context = self._setup_replication_test(0)
+        self._merge_object(index=slice(0, 3), **local_context)
+        local_broker = local_context['broker']
+        epoch = Timestamp.now()
+        self._goto_sharding_state(local_broker, epoch)
+        self._merge_shard_range(index=0, **local_context)
+        self._merge_object(index=slice(3, 11), **local_context)
+
+        remote_context = self._setup_replication_test(1)
+        self._merge_object(index=11, **remote_context)
+
+        orig_get_remote_info = \
+            replicator.ContainerReplicatorRpc._get_synced_replication_info
+
+        def presharding_get_remote_info(*args):
+            rinfo = orig_get_remote_info(*args)
+            del rinfo['shard_max_row']
+            return rinfo
+
+        with mock.patch('swift.container.replicator.'
+                        'ContainerReplicatorRpc._get_synced_replication_info',
+                        presharding_get_remote_info):
+            self._check_only_sync(local_broker, 1, repl_conf)
+
+            remote_broker = self._get_broker('a', 'c', node_index=1)
+            self.assertEqual(
+                [remote_broker._db_file], get_db_files(remote_broker.db_file))
+            self.assertEqual(remote_context['objects'][11:12],
+                             remote_broker.get_objects())
+
+            self.assert_info_synced(
+                local_broker, 1,
+                mismatches=['db_state', 'object_count', 'bytes_used',
+                            'status_changed_at', 'hash'])
+
+            self._check_only_sync(local_broker, 1, repl_conf)
+
+    def test_replication_local_sharding_remote_presharding(self):
+        self._check_replication_local_sharding_remote_presharding({})
+
+    def test_replication_local_sharding_remote_presharding_large_diff(self):
+        self._check_replication_local_sharding_remote_presharding(
+            {'per_diff': 1})
+
     def _check_replication_local_sharding_remote_sharding(self, repl_conf):
         local_context = self._setup_replication_test(0)
         self._merge_object(index=slice(0, 5), **local_context)