diff --git a/swh/deposit/api/deposit_update.py b/swh/deposit/api/deposit_update.py
--- a/swh/deposit/api/deposit_update.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/api/deposit_update.py
@@ -335,12 +335,21 @@
                 request, headers, collection_name, deposit_id=deposit_id
             )
             return status.HTTP_201_CREATED, EM_IRI, data
-        # check for final empty post
-        # source: http://swordapp.github.io/SWORDv2-Profile/SWORDProfile.html
-        # #continueddeposit_complete
-        if headers["content-length"] == 0 and headers["in-progress"] is False:
+
+        content_length = headers["content-length"] or 0
+        if content_length == 0 and headers["in-progress"] is False:
+            # check for final empty post
+            # source: http://swordapp.github.io/SWORDv2-Profile/SWORDProfile.html
+            # #continueddeposit_complete
             data = self._empty_post(request, headers, collection_name, deposit_id)
             return status.HTTP_200_OK, EDIT_SE_IRI, data
+        elif content_length == 0:
+            return make_error_dict(
+                BAD_REQUEST,
+                "Empty body request is not supported",
+                "Atom entry deposit is supposed to send for metadata. "
+                "If the body is empty, there is no metadata.",
+            )
 
         data = self._atom_entry(
             request, headers, collection_name, deposit_id=deposit_id
diff --git a/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_deposit_update.py b/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_deposit_update.py
--- a/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_deposit_update.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_deposit_update.py
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@
 from django.urls import reverse
 from rest_framework import status
 
-from swh.deposit.config import EDIT_SE_IRI, EM_IRI
+from swh.deposit.config import (
+    DEPOSIT_STATUS_DEPOSITED,
+    DEPOSIT_STATUS_PARTIAL,
+    EDIT_SE_IRI,
+    EM_IRI,
+)
 from swh.deposit.models import Deposit, DepositCollection, DepositRequest
 from swh.deposit.parsers import parse_xml
 from swh.deposit.tests.common import check_archive, create_arborescence_archive
@@ -585,6 +590,66 @@
     assert len(requests_archive1) == 1 + 1, "New deposit request metadata got added"
 
 
+def test_post_metadata_empty_post_finalize_deposit_ok(
+    authenticated_client,
+    deposit_collection,
+    partial_deposit_with_metadata,
+    atom_dataset,
+):
+    """Empty atom post entry with header in-progress to false can actually finish a deposit
+
+    Response: 200
+    """
+    deposit = partial_deposit_with_metadata
+    assert deposit.status == DEPOSIT_STATUS_PARTIAL
+
+    requests = DepositRequest.objects.filter(deposit=deposit, type="metadata")
+    assert len(requests) == 1
+    requests_archive0 = DepositRequest.objects.filter(deposit=deposit, type="archive")
+    assert len(requests_archive0) == 1
+
+    update_uri = reverse(EDIT_SE_IRI, args=[deposit_collection.name, deposit.id])
+    response = authenticated_client.post(
+        update_uri,
+        content_type="application/atom+xml;type=entry",
+        data="",
+        size=0,
+        HTTP_IN_PROGRESS=False,
+    )
+
+    assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
+
+    deposit = Deposit.objects.get(pk=deposit.id)
+    assert deposit.status == DEPOSIT_STATUS_DEPOSITED
+
+
+def test_post_metadata_empty_post_refused_without_in_progress_false(
+    authenticated_client,
+    deposit_collection,
+    partial_deposit_with_metadata,
+    atom_dataset,
+):
+    """Empty atom post entry without header in-progress to false is bad a request
+
+    Response: 200
+    """
+    deposit = partial_deposit_with_metadata
+    assert deposit.status == DEPOSIT_STATUS_PARTIAL
+
+    requests = DepositRequest.objects.filter(deposit=deposit, type="metadata")
+    assert len(requests) == 1
+    requests_archive0 = DepositRequest.objects.filter(deposit=deposit, type="archive")
+    assert len(requests_archive0) == 1
+
+    update_uri = reverse(EDIT_SE_IRI, args=[deposit_collection.name, deposit.id])
+    response = authenticated_client.post(
+        update_uri, content_type="application/atom+xml;type=entry", data=""  # empty
+    )
+
+    assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST
+    assert b"Empty body request is not supported" in response.content
+
+
 def test_add_metadata_to_unknown_deposit(
     deposit_collection, authenticated_client, atom_dataset
 ):