diff --git a/swh/deposit/api/private/deposit_update_status.py b/swh/deposit/api/private/deposit_update_status.py
--- a/swh/deposit/api/private/deposit_update_status.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/api/private/deposit_update_status.py
@@ -112,4 +112,7 @@
         else:  # rejected
             deposit.status = status
 
+        if "status_detail" in data:
+            deposit.status_detail = data["status_detail"]
+
         deposit.save()
diff --git a/swh/deposit/client.py b/swh/deposit/client.py
--- a/swh/deposit/client.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/client.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@
         self,
         update_status_url,
         status,
+        status_detail=None,
         revision_id=None,
         directory_id=None,
         origin_url=None,
@@ -233,6 +234,8 @@
             payload["directory_id"] = directory_id
         if origin_url:
             payload["origin_url"] = origin_url
+        if status_detail:
+            payload["status_detail"] = status_detail
 
         self.do("put", update_status_url, json=payload)
 
diff --git a/swh/deposit/tests/loader/test_client.py b/swh/deposit/tests/loader/test_client.py
--- a/swh/deposit/tests/loader/test_client.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/tests/loader/test_client.py
@@ -213,7 +213,10 @@
 
     deposit_client = PrivateApiDepositClient(config=CLIENT_TEST_CONFIG)
     deposit_client.status_update(
-        "/update/status", DEPOSIT_STATUS_LOAD_SUCCESS, revision_id="some-revision-id",
+        "/update/status",
+        DEPOSIT_STATUS_LOAD_SUCCESS,
+        revision_id="some-revision-id",
+        status_detail="foo bar",
     )
 
     mocked_put.assert_called_once_with(
@@ -221,6 +224,7 @@
         "https://nowhere.org/update/status",
         json={
             "status": DEPOSIT_STATUS_LOAD_SUCCESS,
+            "status_detail": "foo bar",
             "revision_id": "some-revision-id",
         },
     )