diff --git a/django_file_form/tus/views.py b/django_file_form/tus/views.py
index 23dee88f..10fc0891 100644
--- a/django_file_form/tus/views.py
+++ b/django_file_form/tus/views.py
@@ -35,11 +35,10 @@ def start_upload(request):
     response = get_tus_response()
 
     if request.META.get("HTTP_TUS_RESUMABLE", None) is None:
-        logger.warning("Received File upload for unsupported file transfer protocol")
-        response.status_code = 500
-        response.reason_phrase = (
-            "Received File upload for unsupported file transfer protocol"
-        )
+        error_message = "Received file upload for unsupported file transfer protocol"
+        logger.warning(error_message)
+        response.status_code = 400
+        response.reason_phrase = error_message
         return response
 
     metadata = {}
diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index 1ea109aa..5b693afd 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 ## Changelog
 
+**3.9.1 (november 11 2025)**
+
+- Issue #1158: return bad request status for missing meta data (thanks to Ivan Cvetkovic)
+
 **3.9.0 (april 8 2025)**
 
 - Support Django 5.2; drop support for Django 5.0
@@ -20,7 +24,7 @@
 **3.7.0 (june 27 2024)**
 
 - Issue #784: compile to es6. This reduces the size of the minified js file to 80k (from 119k)
-- Issue #841. Drop support for Django 3.2
+- Issue #841: drop support for Django 3.2
 - Issue #891: handle error with empty initial file in model form (thanks to Yanhui Xie)
 
 **3.6.0 (december 8 2023)**
diff --git a/testproject/django_file_form_example/tests/test_views.py b/testproject/django_file_form_example/tests/test_views.py
index 85cba41f..1508069d 100644
--- a/testproject/django_file_form_example/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/testproject/django_file_form_example/tests/test_views.py
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ def test_post(self):
 
     def test_post_without_metadata(self):
         response = Client().post("/upload/")
-        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 500)
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 400)
         self.assertEqual(
             response.reason_phrase,
-            "Received File upload for unsupported file transfer protocol",
+            "Received file upload for unsupported file transfer protocol",
         )
 
     def test_head(self):