diff --git a/doajtest/unit/test_task_preservation.py b/doajtest/unit/test_task_preservation.py
index d8d62d87e..faf3e15a0 100644
--- a/doajtest/unit/test_task_preservation.py
+++ b/doajtest/unit/test_task_preservation.py
@@ -3,13 +3,15 @@
 import requests
 from io import BytesIO
 from unittest.mock import patch
-from doajtest.helpers import DoajTestCase
+from doajtest.helpers import DoajTestCase, login
 from doajtest.mocks.preservation import PreservationMock
 from portality.tasks import preservation
 from portality.core import app
 from portality.lib import dates
 from werkzeug.datastructures import FileStorage
 from portality.models.article import Article
+from portality.models import Account
+from portality.ui.messages import Messages
 
 
 def mock_pull_by_key(key, value):
@@ -232,3 +234,15 @@ def test_get_article_info(self):
         assert issn == "2051-5960"
         assert article_id == "00003741594643f4996e2555a01e03c7"
         assert metadata_json["bibjson"]["identifier"][0]["id"] == "10.1186/s40478-018-0619-9"
+
+    def test_empty_file(self):
+        admin_account = Account.make_account(email="admin@test.com", username="admin", name="Admin", roles=["admin"])
+        admin_account.set_password('password123')
+        admin_account.save()
+
+        with self.app_test.test_client() as t_client:
+            login(t_client, "admin", "password123")
+            response = t_client.post('/publisher/preservation', data={})
+            with t_client.session_transaction() as session:
+                flash_messages = session.get('_flashes')
+                assert any(msg[1] == Messages.PRESERVATION_NO_FILE for msg in flash_messages)
diff --git a/portality/ui/messages.py b/portality/ui/messages.py
index 1e14fba93..e7ba80ef7 100644
--- a/portality/ui/messages.py
+++ b/portality/ui/messages.py
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ class Messages(object):
     JOURNAL_CSV_VALIDATE__CANNOT_MAKE_UR = "We couldn't create an update for this journal because: {reason}"
     JOURNAL_CSV_VALIDATE__INVALID_DATA = "We couldn't understand the information in '{question}'"
 
+    PRESERVATION_NO_FILE = "No file provided for upload"
+
     @classmethod
     def flash(cls, tup):
         if isinstance(tup, tuple):
diff --git a/portality/view/publisher.py b/portality/view/publisher.py
index 81388e583..43ef3d7d9 100644
--- a/portality/view/publisher.py
+++ b/portality/view/publisher.py
@@ -263,25 +263,29 @@ def preservation():
     if request.method == "POST":
 
         f = request.files.get("file")
-        app.logger.info(f"Preservation file {f.filename}")
+
         resp = make_response(redirect(url_for("publisher.preservation")))
 
         # create model object to store status details
         preservation_model = models.PreservationState()
         preservation_model.set_id()
-        preservation_model.initiated(current_user.id, f.filename)
+
 
         previous.insert(0, preservation_model)
 
         app.logger.debug(f"Preservation model created with id {preservation_model.id}")
 
         if f is None or f.filename == "":
-            error_str = "No file provided to upload"
+            error_str = Messages.PRESERVATION_NO_FILE
             flash(error_str, "error")
+            preservation_model.initiated(current_user.id, "none")
             preservation_model.failed(error_str)
             preservation_model.save()
             return resp
 
+        app.logger.info(f"Preservation file {f.filename}")
+
+        preservation_model.initiated(current_user.id, f.filename)
         preservation_model.validated()
         preservation_model.save()