diff --git a/swh/deposit/api/common.py b/swh/deposit/api/common.py
--- a/swh/deposit/api/common.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/api/common.py
@@ -807,8 +807,17 @@
             - 415 (unsupported media type) if a wrong media type is provided
 
         """
+        metadata_stream = request.data
+        if not metadata_stream:
+            raise DepositError(
+                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.",
+            )
+
         try:
-            raw_metadata, metadata = self._read_metadata(request.data)
+            raw_metadata, metadata = self._read_metadata(metadata_stream)
         except ParserError:
             raise DepositError(
                 BAD_REQUEST,