diff --git a/code/RestfulServer.php b/code/RestfulServer.php
index 8b7644e..83ad871 100644
--- a/code/RestfulServer.php
+++ b/code/RestfulServer.php
@@ -405,7 +405,11 @@ class RestfulServer extends Controller
             return $this->unsupportedMediaType();
         }
 
+        /** @var DataObject|string */
         $obj = $this->updateDataObject($obj, $reqFormatter);
+        if (is_string($obj)) {
+            return $obj;
+        }
 
         $this->getResponse()->setStatusCode(200); // Success
         $this->getResponse()->addHeader('Content-Type', $responseFormatter->getOutputContentType());
@@ -470,7 +474,11 @@ class RestfulServer extends Controller
 
         $responseFormatter = $this->getResponseDataFormatter($className);
 
+        /** @var DataObject|string $obj */
         $obj = $this->updateDataObject($obj, $reqFormatter);
+        if (is_string($obj)) {
+            return $obj;
+        }
 
         $this->getResponse()->setStatusCode(201); // Created
         $this->getResponse()->addHeader('Content-Type', $responseFormatter->getOutputContentType());
@@ -498,7 +506,7 @@ class RestfulServer extends Controller
      *
      * @param DataObject $obj
      * @param DataFormatter $formatter
-     * @return DataObject The passed object
+     * @return DataObject|string The passed object, or "No Content" if incomplete input data is provided
      */
     protected function updateDataObject($obj, $formatter)
     {
diff --git a/tests/unit/RestfulServerTest.php b/tests/unit/RestfulServerTest.php
index 54a9d77..b34a166 100644
--- a/tests/unit/RestfulServerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/RestfulServerTest.php
@@ -188,18 +188,31 @@ class RestfulServerTest extends SapphireTest
             $response->getHeader('Location'),
             Controller::join_links(Director::absoluteBaseURL(), $url, $responseArr['ID'])
         );
-    
+
         unset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']);
         unset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW']);
     }
-    
+
+    public function testPostWithoutBodyReturnsNoContent()
+    {
+        $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER'] = 'editor@test.com';
+        $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW'] = 'editor';
+
+        $url = '/api/v1/RestfulServerTest_Comment';
+        $response = Director::test($url, null, null, 'POST');
+
+        $this->assertEquals('No Content', $response->getBody());
+
+        unset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER'], $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW']);
+    }
+
     public function testPUTwithJSON()
     {
         $comment1 = $this->objFromFixture('RestfulServerTest_Comment', 'comment1');
-        
+
         $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER'] = 'editor@test.com';
         $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW'] = 'editor';
-        
+
         // by mimetype
         $url = "/api/v1/RestfulServerTest_Comment/" . $comment1->ID;
         $body = '{"Comment":"updated"}';