diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index e59b855819..5dc1b250c2 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-dataflow-java-sdk-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>1.1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
diff --git a/maven-archetypes/examples/pom.xml b/maven-archetypes/examples/pom.xml
index cdb3744d89..8b0d5e2c0f 100644
--- a/maven-archetypes/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-archetypes/examples/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-dataflow-java-sdk-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>1.1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <relativePath>../../pom.xml</relativePath>
   </parent>
 
diff --git a/maven-archetypes/starter/pom.xml b/maven-archetypes/starter/pom.xml
index cdbb5137ea..0298889abf 100644
--- a/maven-archetypes/starter/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-archetypes/starter/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-dataflow-java-sdk-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>1.1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <relativePath>../../pom.xml</relativePath>
   </parent>
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6b56dc45a2..a936936f25 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
   <url>http://cloud.google.com/dataflow</url>
   <inceptionYear>2013</inceptionYear>
 
-  <version>1.1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
 
   <licenses>
     <license>
diff --git a/sdk/pom.xml b/sdk/pom.xml
index 4c07023d67..da58421744 100644
--- a/sdk/pom.xml
+++ b/sdk/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-dataflow-java-sdk-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>1.1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <groupId>com.google.cloud.dataflow</groupId>
diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/dataflow/sdk/io/BigQueryIO.java b/sdk/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/dataflow/sdk/io/BigQueryIO.java
index 3dbccd3b03..ccb474aaa6 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/dataflow/sdk/io/BigQueryIO.java
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/dataflow/sdk/io/BigQueryIO.java
@@ -1353,9 +1353,6 @@ private static void evaluateWriteHelper(
           if (ref.getProjectId() == null) {
             ref.setProjectId(options.getProject());
           }
-          LOG.info("Writing to BigQuery table {}", toTableSpec(ref));
-          inserter.getOrCreateTable(
-              ref, transform.writeDisposition, transform.createDisposition, transform.schema);
 
           List<TableRow> rows = getOrCreateMapListValue(tableRows, ref);
           rows.add(windowedValue.getValue());
@@ -1363,6 +1360,12 @@ private static void evaluateWriteHelper(
       }
 
       for (TableReference ref : tableRows.keySet()) {
+        LOG.info("Writing to BigQuery table {}", toTableSpec(ref));
+        // {@link BigQueryTableInserter#getOrCreateTable} validates {@link CreateDisposition}
+        // and {@link WriteDisposition}.
+        // For each {@link TableReference}, it can only be called before rows are written.
+        inserter.getOrCreateTable(
+            ref, transform.writeDisposition, transform.createDisposition, transform.schema);
         inserter.insertAll(ref, tableRows.get(ref));
       }
     } catch (IOException e) {