diff --git a/keyserver/internal/internal.go b/keyserver/internal/internal.go
index 2ce18fa55..f53a07619 100644
--- a/keyserver/internal/internal.go
+++ b/keyserver/internal/internal.go
@@ -513,7 +513,12 @@ func (a *KeyInternalAPI) uploadLocalDeviceKeys(ctx context.Context, req *api.Per
 }
 
 func (a *KeyInternalAPI) uploadOneTimeKeys(ctx context.Context, req *api.PerformUploadKeysRequest, res *api.PerformUploadKeysResponse) {
-	if req.UserID != "" && req.DeviceID != "" && len(req.OneTimeKeys) == 0 {
+	if req.UserID == "" {
+		res.Error = &api.KeyError{
+			Err: "user ID  missing",
+		}
+	}
+	if req.DeviceID != "" && len(req.OneTimeKeys) == 0 {
 		counts, err := a.DB.OneTimeKeysCount(ctx, req.UserID, req.DeviceID)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.Error = &api.KeyError{