diff --git a/server/storage/quota.go b/server/storage/quota.go
index e15079d45..46b350653 100644
--- a/server/storage/quota.go
+++ b/server/storage/quota.go
@@ -127,8 +127,13 @@ func NewBackendQuota(cfg config.ServerConfig, be backend.Backend, name string) Q
 }
 
 func (b *BackendQuota) Available(v interface{}) bool {
+	cost := b.Cost(v)
+	// if there are no mutating requests, it's safe to pass through
+	if cost == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
 	// TODO: maybe optimize Backend.Size()
-	return b.be.Size()+int64(b.Cost(v)) < b.maxBackendBytes
+	return b.be.Size()+int64(cost) < b.maxBackendBytes
 }
 
 func (b *BackendQuota) Cost(v interface{}) int {
diff --git a/tests/integration/v3_alarm_test.go b/tests/integration/v3_alarm_test.go
index 929d9b926..2fce27bf8 100644
--- a/tests/integration/v3_alarm_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/v3_alarm_test.go
@@ -88,6 +88,30 @@ func TestV3StorageQuotaApply(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// txn with non-mutating Ops should go through when NOSPACE alarm is raised
+	_, err = kvc0.Txn(context.TODO(), &pb.TxnRequest{
+		Compare: []*pb.Compare{
+			{
+				Key:         key,
+				Result:      pb.Compare_EQUAL,
+				Target:      pb.Compare_CREATE,
+				TargetUnion: &pb.Compare_CreateRevision{CreateRevision: 0},
+			},
+		},
+		Success: []*pb.RequestOp{
+			{
+				Request: &pb.RequestOp_RequestDeleteRange{
+					RequestDeleteRange: &pb.DeleteRangeRequest{
+						Key: key,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.TODO(), integration.RequestWaitTimeout)
 	defer cancel()