1. A method comprises: sending, by a first device of a dispersed storage network (DSN), a set of write revision requests to storage units of the DSN, wherein a write revision request of the set of write revision requests includes a slice name and a revision number corresponding to a revision level of a set of revised encoded data slices, wherein the set of write revision requests does not include the set of revised encoded data slices; generating, by one of the storage units, a write revision response regarding a potential write conflict based on the revision number; receiving, by the first device, the write revision responses from at least some of the storage units to produce a set of received write revision responses; interpreting, by the first device, the set of received write revision responses to determine whether a write conflict exists; when the write conflict exists, aborting, by the first device, a write function regarding storage of the set of revised encoded data slices by the storage units without sending the set of revised encoded data slices to the storage units; and when the write conflict does not exist, issuing, by the first device, a set of write requests to the storage units regarding storing the set of revised encoded data slices, wherein each write request of the set of write requests includes a revised encoded data slice of the set of revised encoded data slices.