An object storage system, such as a content addressed storage system, manages replication of objects across network locations to balance storage space and data security. Network locations set a policy of replicating each object at the object's primary network location and a secondary network location. The secondary network location creates a first replica of the object and a virtual unique identifier representing a second replica of the object at the secondary network location. Creation of the second replica is suppressed unless the first replica becomes invalid so that storage space is conserved without substantially increasing the risk of loss of information represented by the object.