diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommand.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommand.java
index 17078fb02..5921e30da 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommand.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommand.java
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ import com.beust.jcommander.Parameters;
 import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
 import com.google.common.base.Strings;
+import com.googlecode.objectify.Key;
 import google.registry.model.registry.label.ReservedList;
+import google.registry.persistence.VKey;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
@@ -63,6 +65,12 @@ final class CreateReservedListCommand extends CreateOrUpdateReservedListCommand
             .setCreationTime(now)
             .setLastUpdateTime(now)
             .build();
+
+    // calls the stageEntityChange method that takes old entity, new entity and a new vkey;
+    // Because ReservedList is a sqlEntity and its primary key field (revisionId) is only set when
+    // it's being persisted; a vkey has to be created here explicitly for ReservedList instances.
+    stageEntityChange(
+        null, reservedList, VKey.createOfy(ReservedList.class, Key.create(reservedList)));
   }
 
   private static void validateListName(String name) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
index 7d994fec1..52a38e473 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/CreateReservedListCommandTest.java
@@ -23,8 +23,11 @@ import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.persistResource;
 import static google.registry.tools.CreateReservedListCommand.INVALID_FORMAT_ERROR_MESSAGE;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 
+import com.google.common.io.Files;
 import google.registry.model.registry.Registry;
 import google.registry.model.registry.label.ReservedList;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
@@ -185,4 +188,26 @@ class CreateReservedListCommandTest
     runCommandForced("--name=" + name, "--override", "--input=" + reservedTermsPath);
     assertThat(ReservedList.get(name)).isPresent();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testStageEntityChange_succeeds() throws Exception {
+    CreateReservedListCommand command = new CreateReservedListCommand();
+    // file content is populated in @BeforeEach of CreateOrUpdateReservedListCommandTestCase.java
+    command.input = Paths.get(reservedTermsPath);
+    command.init();
+    assertThat(command.prompt())
+        .contains(
+            "reservedListMap={baddies=baddies,FULLY_BLOCKED, "
+                + "ford=ford,FULLY_BLOCKED # random comment}");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void testStageEntityChange_succeedsWithEmptyFile() throws Exception {
+    Path tmpPath = tmpDir.resolve("xn--q9jyb4c_common-tmp.txt");
+    Files.write(new byte[0], tmpPath.toFile());
+    CreateReservedListCommand command = new CreateReservedListCommand();
+    command.input = tmpPath;
+    command.init();
+    assertThat(command.prompt()).contains("reservedListMap={}");
+  }
 }