diff --git a/rhizome_restful.c b/rhizome_restful.c
index 8da5929e..6e83ac82 100644
--- a/rhizome_restful.c
+++ b/rhizome_restful.c
@@ -580,11 +580,13 @@ static int restful_rhizome_insert_end(struct http_request *hr)
 	rhizome_manifest_set_filesize(r->manifest, r->u.insert.write.file_length);
       // fall through
     case RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_STORED:
+      assert(r->manifest->filesize != RHIZOME_SIZE_UNSET);
       // TODO: check that stored hash matches received payload's hash
       // fall through
     case RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_EMPTY:
       status_valid = 1;
-      assert(r->manifest->filesize != RHIZOME_SIZE_UNSET);
+      if (r->manifest->filesize == RHIZOME_SIZE_UNSET)
+	rhizome_manifest_set_filesize(r->manifest, 0);
       if (r->u.insert.payload_size == r->manifest->filesize)
 	break;
       // fall through
diff --git a/rhizome_store.c b/rhizome_store.c
index 08154dd0..4967d21c 100644
--- a/rhizome_store.c
+++ b/rhizome_store.c
@@ -679,14 +679,18 @@ enum rhizome_payload_status rhizome_finish_write(struct rhizome_write *write)
 {
   enum rhizome_payload_status status = RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_NEW;
   
-  // Once the whole file has been processed, we should finally know its.
+  // Once the whole file has been processed, we should finally know its length
   if (write->file_length == RHIZOME_SIZE_UNSET) {
     if (config.debug.rhizome_store)
       DEBUGF("Wrote %"PRIu64" bytes, set file_length", write->file_offset);
     write->file_length = write->file_offset;
-    status = store_make_space(write->file_length, NULL);
-    if (status!=RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_NEW)
-      goto failure;
+    if (write->file_length == 0)
+      status = RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_EMPTY;
+    else {
+      status = store_make_space(write->file_length, NULL);
+      if (status != RHIZOME_PAYLOAD_STATUS_NEW)
+	goto failure;
+    }
   }
   
   // flush out any remaining buffered pieces to disk
@@ -709,7 +713,7 @@ enum rhizome_payload_status rhizome_finish_write(struct rhizome_write *write)
   }
   assert(write->file_offset == write->file_length);
   
-  if (write->file_length==0){
+  if (write->file_length == 0) {
     // whoops, no payload, don't store anything
     if (config.debug.rhizome_store)
       DEBUGF("Ignoring empty write");
diff --git a/tests/rhizomejava b/tests/rhizomejava
index bb07d3ff..7e3f4f24 100755
--- a/tests/rhizomejava
+++ b/tests/rhizomejava
@@ -393,4 +393,59 @@ test_RhizomeInsertAnon() {
    assert_rhizome_list --fromhere=0 --manifest=ifile2.manifest file2
 }
 
+doc_RhizomeInsertEmptyNew="Java API update existing Rhizome bundle to empty"
+setup_RhizomeInsertEmptyNew() {
+   setup
+   >empty
+   assert [ ! -s empty ]
+}
+test_RhizomeInsertEmptyNew() {
+   executeJavaOk org.servalproject.test.Rhizome rhizome-insert '' '' empty empty.manifest "lucky"
+   tfw_cat --stdout --stderr -v empty.manifest
+   extract_manifest_id BID empty.manifest
+   assertStdoutGrep '^_status=NEW$'
+   assertStdoutGrep "^id=$BID\$"
+   assertStdoutGrep "^filesize=0\$"
+   assertStdoutGrep --matches=0 "^filehash="
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 "^bundle_status_code=NEW$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case "^bundle_status_message=.*bundle new to store.*$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 "^payload_status_code=EMPTY$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case "^payload_status_message=.*payload empty.*$CR\$"
+   executeOk_servald rhizome list
+   assert_rhizome_list empty
+   executeOk_servald rhizome extract bundle "$BID" xempty.manifest xempty
+   assert [ ! -e xempty ]
+   assert diff xempty.manifest empty.manifest
+}
+
+doc_RhizomeInsertEmptyUpdate="Java API insert new empty Rhizome bundle"
+setup_RhizomeInsertEmptyUpdate() {
+   setup
+   create_file file1 1001
+   executeOk_servald rhizome add file "$SIDA1" file1 file1.manifest
+   extract_stdout_manifestid BID
+   extract_stdout_BK BK
+   >empty
+   assert [ ! -s empty ]
+   echo "id=$BID" >iempty.manifest
+   echo "BK=$BK" >>iempty.manifest
+}
+test_RhizomeInsertEmptyUpdate() {
+   executeJavaOk org.servalproject.test.Rhizome rhizome-insert '' iempty.manifest empty empty.manifest
+   tfw_cat --stdout --stderr -v empty.manifest
+   assertStdoutGrep '^_status=NEW$'
+   assertStdoutGrep "^id=$BID\$"
+   assertStdoutGrep "^filesize=0\$"
+   assertStdoutGrep --matches=0 "^filehash="
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 "^bundle_status_code=NEW$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case "^bundle_status_message=.*bundle new to store.*$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 "^payload_status_code=EMPTY$CR\$"
+   assertStderrGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case "^payload_status_message=.*payload empty.*$CR\$"
+   executeOk_servald rhizome list
+   assert_rhizome_list empty
+   executeOk_servald rhizome extract bundle "$BID" xempty.manifest xempty
+   assert [ ! -e xempty ]
+   assert diff xempty.manifest empty.manifest
+}
+
 runTests "$@"
diff --git a/tests/rhizomerestful b/tests/rhizomerestful
index 8fe06aa2..c5e895cd 100755
--- a/tests/rhizomerestful
+++ b/tests/rhizomerestful
@@ -650,8 +650,8 @@ test_RhizomeInsertEmpty() {
    assertStdoutIs 201
    assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Bundle-Status-Code: 0$CR\$"
    assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Bundle-Status-Message: .*bundle new to store.*$CR\$"
-   assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Payload-Status-Code: 1$CR\$"
-   assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Payload-Status-Message: .*payload new to store.*$CR\$"
+   assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Payload-Status-Code: 0$CR\$"
+   assertGrep --matches=1 --ignore-case http.header "^Serval-Rhizome-Result-Payload-Status-Message: .*payload empty.*$CR\$"
    extract_manifest_id BID empty.manifest
    executeOk_servald rhizome list
    assert_rhizome_list empty