diff --git a/src/streaming/net/HTTPLoader.js b/src/streaming/net/HTTPLoader.js
index 6364cb40db..035e169fc0 100644
--- a/src/streaming/net/HTTPLoader.js
+++ b/src/streaming/net/HTTPLoader.js
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ function HTTPLoader(cfg) {
         }
 
         const addHttpRequestMetric = function(success) {
+            request.requestStartDate = requestStartTime;
+            request.requestEndDate = new Date();
+            request.firstByteDate = request.firstByteDate || requestStartTime;
+            request.fileLoaderType = fileLoaderType;
+
             const responseUrl = httpRequest.response ? httpRequest.response.responseURL : null;
             const responseStatus = httpRequest.response ? httpRequest.response.status : null;
             const responseHeaders = httpRequest.response && httpRequest.response.getAllResponseHeaders ? httpRequest.response.getAllResponseHeaders() :
@@ -127,18 +132,11 @@ function HTTPLoader(cfg) {
         const handleLoaded = function (success) {
             needFailureReport = false;
 
-            request.requestStartDate = requestStartTime;
-            request.requestEndDate = new Date();
-            request.firstByteDate = request.firstByteDate || requestStartTime;
-            request.fileLoaderType = fileLoaderType;
+            addHttpRequestMetric(success);
 
-            if (!request.checkExistenceOnly) {
-                addHttpRequestMetric(success);
-
-                if (request.type === HTTPRequest.MPD_TYPE) {
-                    dashMetrics.addManifestUpdate(request);
-                    eventBus.trigger(Events.MANIFEST_LOADING_FINISHED, { request });
-                }
+            if (request.type === HTTPRequest.MPD_TYPE) {
+                dashMetrics.addManifestUpdate(request);
+                eventBus.trigger(Events.MANIFEST_LOADING_FINISHED, { request });
             }
         };
 
@@ -318,7 +316,6 @@ function HTTPLoader(cfg) {
             }
         }
 
-        const verb = request.checkExistenceOnly ? HTTPRequest.HEAD : HTTPRequest.GET;
         const withCredentials = customParametersModel.getXHRWithCredentialsForType(request.type);
 
         // Add queryParams that came from pathway cloning
@@ -336,7 +333,7 @@ function HTTPLoader(cfg) {
 
         httpRequest = {
             url: modifiedUrl,
-            method: verb,
+            method: HTTPRequest.GET,
             withCredentials: withCredentials,
             request: request,
             onload: onload,
diff --git a/test/unit/streaming.net.HTTPLoader.js b/test/unit/streaming.net.HTTPLoader.js
index 3bff0b4d8f..112e93f273 100644
--- a/test/unit/streaming.net.HTTPLoader.js
+++ b/test/unit/streaming.net.HTTPLoader.js
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ describe('HTTPLoader', function () {
 
         httpLoader.load({
             request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true,
                 responseType: 'json',
                 type: HTTPRequest.MEDIA_SEGMENT_TYPE,
                 availabilityTimeComplete: false
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ describe('HTTPLoader', function () {
         });
 
         httpLoader.load({
-            request: {checkExistenceOnly: true},
+            request: {},
             success: callbackSucceeded,
             complete: callbackCompleted,
             error: callbackError
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ describe('HTTPLoader', function () {
         });
 
         httpLoader.load({
-            request: {checkExistenceOnly: true},
+            request: {},
             success: callbackSucceeded,
             complete: callbackCompleted,
             error: callbackError
@@ -149,7 +148,6 @@ describe('HTTPLoader', function () {
 
         httpLoader.load({
             request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true,
                 responseType: 'arraybuffer',
                 type: HTTPRequest.INIT_SEGMENT_TYPE,
                 availabilityTimeComplete: false
diff --git a/test/unit/streaming.net.XHRLoader.js b/test/unit/streaming.net.XHRLoader.js
index e2f0b6ddcf..79eda61f83 100644
--- a/test/unit/streaming.net.XHRLoader.js
+++ b/test/unit/streaming.net.XHRLoader.js
@@ -42,9 +42,7 @@ describe('XHRLoader', function () {
             requestModifier: requestModifier
         });
         const request = {
-            request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true
-            },
+            request: {},
             onload: callbackSucceeded,
             onend: callbackCompleted,
             onerror: callbackError,
@@ -70,9 +68,7 @@ describe('XHRLoader', function () {
             requestModifier: requestModifier
         });
         const request = {
-            request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true
-            },
+            request: {},
             onload: callbackSucceeded,
             onend: callbackCompleted,
             onerror: callbackError,
@@ -99,9 +95,7 @@ describe('XHRLoader', function () {
         });
 
         const request = {
-            request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true
-            },
+            request: {},
             onload: callbackSucceeded,
             onend: callbackCompleted,
             onerror: callbackError,
@@ -127,9 +121,7 @@ describe('XHRLoader', function () {
             requestModifier: requestModifier
         });
         const request = {
-            request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true
-            },
+            request: {},
             onload: callbackSucceeded,
             onend: callbackCompleted,
             onerror: callbackError,
@@ -150,9 +142,7 @@ describe('XHRLoader', function () {
             requestModifier: requestModifier
         });
         const request = {
-            request: {
-                checkExistenceOnly: true
-            },
+            request: {},
             timeout: 100
         };
         xhrLoader.load(request);