diff --git a/modules/dcache-spacemanager/src/main/java/diskCacheV111/services/space/SpaceManagerService.java b/modules/dcache-spacemanager/src/main/java/diskCacheV111/services/space/SpaceManagerService.java
index 90922d32dc0..5a94e74f091 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-spacemanager/src/main/java/diskCacheV111/services/space/SpaceManagerService.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-spacemanager/src/main/java/diskCacheV111/services/space/SpaceManagerService.java
@@ -776,7 +776,14 @@ private void transferFinished(DoorTransferFinishedMessage finished)
              */
             fileRemoved(finished.getPnfsId());
         } else {
-            transferFinished(finished.getPnfsId(), finished.getFileAttributes().getSize());
+            long fileSize = 0;
+            if (finished.getFileAttributes().isDefined(FileAttribute.SIZE)) {
+                fileSize = finished.getFileAttributes().getSize();
+            } else {
+                LOGGER.warn("Transfer " + (finished.getReturnCode() == 0 ? "succeeded " : "failed ")
+                      + "and did not report a file size. Reporting as zero bytes.");
+            }
+            transferFinished(finished.getPnfsId(), fileSize);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/repository/v5/WriteHandleImpl.java b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/repository/v5/WriteHandleImpl.java
index 1820c7913cc..e39e1635e06 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/repository/v5/WriteHandleImpl.java
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/pool/repository/v5/WriteHandleImpl.java
@@ -302,10 +302,11 @@ private synchronized void fail() {
         }
 
         /* If nothing was uploaded, we delete the replica and leave the name space
-         * entry it is virgin state.
+         * entry in its virgin state except for setting the file size to zero.
          */
         long length = _entry.getReplicaSize();
         if (length == 0) {
+            _fileAttributes.setSize(length);
             _targetState = ReplicaState.REMOVED;
             if (why == null) {
                 why = "replica is empty";