diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/AggregationRuntime.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/AggregationRuntime.cs
index 6d6c2e9307..10f1926305 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/AggregationRuntime.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/AggregationRuntime.cs
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ public async ValueTask ApplyChangesAsync(DocumentSessionBase session,
         }
 
         var aggregate = slice.Aggregate;
-        if (slice.Aggregate == null && lifecycle == ProjectionLifecycle.Inline)
+        // do not load if sliced by stream and the stream does not yet exist
+        if (slice.Aggregate == null && lifecycle == ProjectionLifecycle.Inline && (Slicer is not ISingleStreamSlicer || slice.ActionType != StreamActionType.Start))
         {
             aggregate = await Storage.LoadAsync(slice.Id, session, cancellation).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamId.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamId.cs
index 2c96aafa5f..92884e7720 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamId.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamId.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public ValueTask<IReadOnlyList<EventSlice<TDoc, Guid>>> SliceInlineActions(IQuer
         return new ValueTask<IReadOnlyList<EventSlice<TDoc, Guid>>>(streams.Select(s =>
         {
             var tenant = new Tenant(s.TenantId, querySession.Database);
-            return new EventSlice<TDoc, Guid>(s.Id, tenant, s.Events);
+            return new EventSlice<TDoc, Guid>(s.Id, tenant, s.Events){ActionType = s.ActionType};
         }).ToList());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamKey.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamKey.cs
index e1a15abb6b..4136f7f768 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamKey.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/ByStreamKey.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public ValueTask<IReadOnlyList<EventSlice<TDoc, string>>> SliceInlineActions(IQu
         return new ValueTask<IReadOnlyList<EventSlice<TDoc, string>>>(streams.Select(s =>
         {
             var tenant = new Tenant(s.TenantId, querySession.Database);
-            return new EventSlice<TDoc, string>(s.Key!, tenant, s.Events);
+            return new EventSlice<TDoc, string>(s.Key!, tenant, s.Events){ActionType = s.ActionType};
         }).ToList());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/CustomProjection.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/CustomProjection.cs
index 1b81e2cebf..d65dc839ac 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/CustomProjection.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/CustomProjection.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
-using JasperFx.CodeGeneration;
 using JasperFx.Core.Reflection;
 using Marten.Events.Daemon;
 using Marten.Events.Daemon.Internals;
@@ -64,7 +62,11 @@ async Task IProjection.ApplyAsync(IDocumentOperations operations, IReadOnlyList<
         {
             var tenantedSession = martenSession.UseTenancyBasedOnSliceAndStorage(storage, slice);
 
-            slice.Aggregate = await storage.LoadAsync(slice.Id, tenantedSession, cancellation).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            // do not load if sliced by stream and the stream does not yet exist
+            if (Slicer is not ISingleStreamSlicer || slice.ActionType != StreamActionType.Start)
+            {
+                slice.Aggregate = await storage.LoadAsync(slice.Id, tenantedSession, cancellation).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
             await ApplyChangesAsync(tenantedSession, slice, cancellation).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/EventSlice.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/EventSlice.cs
index 5e62c3b5df..25a24f94d2 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/EventSlice.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Aggregation/EventSlice.cs
@@ -38,12 +38,22 @@ public EventSlice(TId id, IQuerySession querySession, IEnumerable<IEvent>? event
     {
     }
 
+    private readonly StreamActionType? _actionType;
+
     /// <summary>
     ///     Is this action the start of a new stream or appending
     ///     to an existing stream?
     /// </summary>
-    public StreamActionType ActionType => _events[0].Version == 1 ? StreamActionType.Start : StreamActionType.Append;
-
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///     Default's to determining from the version of the first event on
+    ///     stream, but can be overridden so that the value works with
+    ///     QuickAppend
+    /// </remarks>
+    public StreamActionType ActionType
+    {
+        get => _actionType ?? (_events[0].Version == 1 ? StreamActionType.Start : StreamActionType.Append);
+        init => _actionType = value;
+    }
 
     /// <summary>
     ///     The aggregate identity