diff --git a/swh/provenance/cli.py b/swh/provenance/cli.py
--- a/swh/provenance/cli.py
+++ b/swh/provenance/cli.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
 def origin_from_journal(ctx: click.core.Context):
     from swh.journal.client import get_journal_client
 
-    from .journal_client import process_journal_objects
+    from .journal_client import process_journal_origins
 
     provenance = ctx.obj["provenance"]
     archive = ctx.obj["archive"]
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@
     journal_cfg = ctx.obj["config"].get("journal_client", {})
 
     worker_fn = partial(
-        process_journal_objects,
+        process_journal_origins,
         archive=archive,
         provenance=provenance,
     )
diff --git a/swh/provenance/journal_client.py b/swh/provenance/journal_client.py
--- a/swh/provenance/journal_client.py
+++ b/swh/provenance/journal_client.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 from swh.storage.interface import StorageInterface
 
 
-def process_journal_objects(
-    messages, *, provenance: ProvenanceInterface, archive: StorageInterface
+def process_journal_origins(
+    messages, *, provenance: ProvenanceInterface, archive: StorageInterface, **cfg
 ) -> None:
     """Worker function for `JournalClient.process(worker_fn)`."""
     assert set(messages) == {"origin_visit_status"}, set(messages)
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@
         for visit in messages["origin_visit_status"]
         if visit["snapshot"] is not None
     ]
-    with provenance:
-        origin_add(provenance, archive, origin_entries)
+    if origin_entries:
+        with provenance:
+            origin_add(provenance, archive, origin_entries, **cfg)