diff --git a/changelog/pending/20221117--sdk-nodejs--attempt-to-select-stack-then-create-as-fallback-on-createorselect.yaml b/changelog/pending/20221117--sdk-nodejs--attempt-to-select-stack-then-create-as-fallback-on-createorselect.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f379efe02e5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/pending/20221117--sdk-nodejs--attempt-to-select-stack-then-create-as-fallback-on-createorselect.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+changes:
+- type: fix
+  scope: sdk/nodejs,go,dotnet
+  description: Attempt to select stack then create as fallback on 'createOrSelect'
diff --git a/sdk/dotnet/Pulumi.Automation/WorkspaceStack.cs b/sdk/dotnet/Pulumi.Automation/WorkspaceStack.cs
index b77a1371af0e..4351dcacb208 100644
--- a/sdk/dotnet/Pulumi.Automation/WorkspaceStack.cs
+++ b/sdk/dotnet/Pulumi.Automation/WorkspaceStack.cs
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ public sealed class WorkspaceStack : IDisposable
                 {
                     try
                     {
-                        await workspace.CreateStackAsync(name, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                        await workspace.SelectStackAsync(name, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
                     }
-                    catch (StackAlreadyExistsException)
+                    catch (StackNotFoundException)
                     {
-                        await workspace.SelectStackAsync(name, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                        await workspace.CreateStackAsync(name, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
                     }
                 }),
                 _ => throw new InvalidOperationException($"Unexpected Stack creation mode: {mode}")
diff --git a/sdk/go/auto/stack.go b/sdk/go/auto/stack.go
index 5584f6fe8a5e..ea38e7cab6e6 100644
--- a/sdk/go/auto/stack.go
+++ b/sdk/go/auto/stack.go
@@ -184,19 +184,18 @@ func SelectStack(ctx context.Context, stackName string, ws Workspace) (Stack, er
 	return s, nil
 }
 
-// UpsertStack tries to create a new stack using the given workspace and
-// stack name if the stack does not already exist,
-// or falls back to selecting the existing stack. If the stack does not exist,
-// it will be created and selected.
+// UpsertStack tries to select a stack using the given workspace and
+// stack name, or falls back to trying to create the stack if
+// it does not exist.
 func UpsertStack(ctx context.Context, stackName string, ws Workspace) (Stack, error) {
-	s, err := NewStack(ctx, stackName, ws)
-	// error for all failures except if the stack already exists, as we'll
-	// just select the stack if it exists.
-	if err != nil && !IsCreateStack409Error(err) {
+	s, err := SelectStack(ctx, stackName, ws)
+	// error for all failures except if the stack is not found, as we'll
+	// attempt to create it.
+	if err != nil && !IsSelectStack404Error(err) {
 		return s, err
 	}
 
-	err = ws.SelectStack(ctx, stackName)
+	s, err = NewStack(ctx, stackName, ws)
 	if err != nil {
 		return s, err
 	}
diff --git a/sdk/nodejs/automation/stack.ts b/sdk/nodejs/automation/stack.ts
index 9dbd021d6f01..de91d8cc6bdc 100644
--- a/sdk/nodejs/automation/stack.ts
+++ b/sdk/nodejs/automation/stack.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import TailFile from "@logdna/tail-file";
 import * as log from "../log";
 import { CommandResult, runPulumiCmd } from "./cmd";
 import { ConfigMap, ConfigValue } from "./config";
-import { StackAlreadyExistsError } from "./errors";
+import { StackNotFoundError } from "./errors";
 import { EngineEvent, SummaryEvent } from "./events";
 import { LanguageServer, maxRPCMessageSize } from "./server";
 import { Deployment, PulumiFn, Workspace } from "./workspace";
@@ -105,12 +105,12 @@ export class Stack {
             this.ready = workspace.selectStack(name);
             return this;
         case "createOrSelect":
-            this.ready = workspace.createStack(name).catch((err) => {
-                if (err instanceof StackAlreadyExistsError) {
-                    return workspace.selectStack(name);
-                }
-                throw err;
-            });
+			this.ready = workspace.selectStack(name).catch((err) => {
+				if (err instanceof StackNotFoundError) {
+					return workspace.createStack(name);
+				}
+				throw err;
+			})
             return this;
         default:
             throw new Error(`unexpected Stack creation mode: ${mode}`);