diff --git a/backend/internal/httpserver/binding.go b/backend/internal/httpserver/binding.go
index 177d5d6e..74e7ffd7 100644
--- a/backend/internal/httpserver/binding.go
+++ b/backend/internal/httpserver/binding.go
@@ -33,17 +33,13 @@ func BindJSON(c *gin.Context, value any) error {
 
 // BindOptionalJSON accepts an empty body while normalizing valid input and classifying malformed JSON as invalid input
 func BindOptionalJSON(c *gin.Context, value any) error {
-	if c.Request.ContentLength == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if err := requireJSONContentType(c); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	err := c.ShouldBindJSON(value)
 	if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if contentTypeErr := requireJSONContentType(c); contentTypeErr != nil {
+		return contentTypeErr
+	}
 	if err = classifyBindingError(err); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/httpserver/binding_test.go b/backend/internal/httpserver/binding_test.go
index b5ceed24..5780aa76 100644
--- a/backend/internal/httpserver/binding_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/httpserver/binding_test.go
@@ -97,6 +97,32 @@ func TestBindJSONAcceptsStructuredJSONContentType(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "admin", input.Name)
 }
 
+func TestBindOptionalJSONDoesNotRelyOnContentLength(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		name          string
+		contentLength int64
+	}{
+		{name: "zero", contentLength: 0},
+		{name: "unknown", contentLength: -1},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+			c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(httptest.NewRecorder())
+			c.Request = httptest.NewRequestWithContext(t.Context(), http.MethodPost, "/", strings.NewReader(`{"secret":"custom-secret"}`))
+			c.Request.ContentLength = test.contentLength
+			c.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+			var input struct {
+				Secret string `json:"secret"`
+			}
+			err := BindOptionalJSON(c, &input)
+
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, "custom-secret", input.Secret)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFormFileClassifiesMissingField(t *testing.T) {
 	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
 	c, _ := gin.CreateTestContext(httptest.NewRecorder())