diff --git a/pkg/api/controller.go b/pkg/api/controller.go
index 94f15297763..90330c9ec40 100644
--- a/pkg/api/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/api/controller.go
@@ -2766,6 +2766,7 @@ func (c *Controller) UploadObject(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, reposi
 		PhysicalAddress: qk.Format(),
 		SizeBytes:       swag.Int64(blob.Size),
 		ContentType:     &contentType,
+		Metadata:        &apigen.ObjectUserMetadata{AdditionalProperties: meta},
 	}
 	writeResponse(w, r, http.StatusCreated, response)
 }
@@ -2898,6 +2899,13 @@ func (c *Controller) CopyObject(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, body api
 		return
 	}
 
+	var metadata map[string]string
+	if entry.Metadata != nil {
+		metadata = entry.Metadata
+	} else {
+		metadata = map[string]string{}
+	}
+
 	response := apigen.ObjectStats{
 		Checksum:        entry.Checksum,
 		Mtime:           entry.CreationDate.Unix(),
@@ -2906,6 +2914,7 @@ func (c *Controller) CopyObject(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, body api
 		PhysicalAddress: qk.Format(),
 		SizeBytes:       swag.Int64(entry.Size),
 		ContentType:     swag.String(entry.ContentType),
+		Metadata:        &apigen.ObjectUserMetadata{AdditionalProperties: metadata},
 	}
 	writeResponse(w, r, http.StatusCreated, response)
 }
@@ -4023,9 +4032,16 @@ func (c *Controller) StatObject(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, reposito
 		SizeBytes:       swag.Int64(entry.Size),
 		ContentType:     swag.String(entry.ContentType),
 	}
+
+	// add metadata if requested
+	var metadata map[string]string
 	if (params.UserMetadata == nil || *params.UserMetadata) && entry.Metadata != nil {
-		objStat.Metadata = &apigen.ObjectUserMetadata{AdditionalProperties: entry.Metadata}
+		metadata = entry.Metadata
+	} else {
+		metadata = map[string]string{}
 	}
+	objStat.Metadata = &apigen.ObjectUserMetadata{AdditionalProperties: metadata}
+
 	code := http.StatusOK
 	if entry.Expired {
 		code = http.StatusGone
diff --git a/pkg/api/controller_test.go b/pkg/api/controller_test.go
index 909aafadefc..f87e35d50d9 100644
--- a/pkg/api/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/controller_test.go
@@ -357,8 +357,8 @@ func TestController_LogCommitsParallelHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	var g multierror.Group
-	for path, logRef := range commitsToLook {
-		objects := []string{path}
+	for objPath, logRef := range commitsToLook {
+		objects := []string{objPath}
 		params := &apigen.LogCommitsParams{Objects: &objects}
 		log := logRef
 		g.Go(func() error {
@@ -1452,10 +1452,10 @@ func TestController_CreateBranchHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		if len(reference) == 0 {
 			t.Fatalf("branch %s creation got no reference", newBranchName)
 		}
-		const path = "some/path"
+		const objPath = "some/path"
 		const content = "hello world!"
 
-		uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, path, strings.NewReader(content), repo, newBranchName)
+		uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, objPath, strings.NewReader(content), repo, newBranchName)
 		verifyResponseOK(t, uploadResp, err)
 
 		if _, err := deps.catalog.Commit(ctx, repo, "main2", "commit 1", "some_user", nil, nil, nil); err != nil {
@@ -1467,7 +1467,7 @@ func TestController_CreateBranchHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		if len(results) != 1 {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected length of results: %d", len(results))
 		}
-		if results[0].Path != path {
+		if results[0].Path != objPath {
 			t.Fatalf("wrong result: %s", results[0].Path)
 		}
 	})
@@ -1581,8 +1581,8 @@ func TestController_DiffRefsHandler(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("branch %s creation got no reference", newBranchName)
 		}
 		const prefix = "some/"
-		const path = "path"
-		const fullPath = prefix + path
+		const objPath = "path"
+		const fullPath = prefix + objPath
 		const content = "hello world!"
 
 		uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, fullPath, strings.NewReader(content), repoName, newBranchName)
@@ -1841,6 +1841,27 @@ func TestController_ObjectsStatObjectHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	t.Run("object_stat_no_metadata", func(t *testing.T) {
+		const objPath = "foo/bar-no-metadata"
+		entry := catalog.DBEntry{
+			Path:            objPath,
+			PhysicalAddress: "this_is_bars_address",
+			CreationDate:    time.Now(),
+			Size:            666,
+			Checksum:        "this_is_a_checksum",
+		}
+		testutil.Must(t, deps.catalog.CreateEntry(ctx, repo, "main", entry))
+
+		resp, err := clt.StatObjectWithResponse(ctx, repo, "main", &apigen.StatObjectParams{Path: objPath})
+		verifyResponseOK(t, resp, err)
+		if resp.JSON200 == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected to get back object stats, got status %s", resp.Status())
+		}
+		if resp.JSON200.Metadata == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected to not get back empty user-defined metadata, got nil")
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("get object stats", func(t *testing.T) {
 		entry := catalog.DBEntry{
 			Path:            "foo/bar",
@@ -1879,8 +1900,8 @@ func TestController_ObjectsStatObjectHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		resp, err = clt.StatObjectWithResponse(ctx, repo, "main", &apigen.StatObjectParams{Path: "foo/bar", UserMetadata: &getUserMetadata})
 		verifyResponseOK(t, resp, err)
 		objectStatsNoMetadata := resp.JSON200
-		if objectStatsNoMetadata.Metadata != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("expected to not get back user-defined metadata, got %+v", objectStatsNoMetadata.Metadata.AdditionalProperties)
+		if objectStatsNoMetadata.Metadata == nil || len(objectStatsNoMetadata.Metadata.AdditionalProperties) != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected to not get back empty user-defined metadata, got %+v", objectStatsNoMetadata.Metadata.AdditionalProperties)
 		}
 	})
 
@@ -3793,8 +3814,8 @@ func TestController_PrepareGarbageCollectionUncommitted(t *testing.T) {
 		testutil.Must(t, err)
 		const items = 3
 		for i := 0; i < items; i++ {
-			path := fmt.Sprintf("uncommitted/obj%d", i)
-			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, path, strings.NewReader(path), repo, "main")
+			objPath := fmt.Sprintf("uncommitted/obj%d", i)
+			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, objPath, strings.NewReader(objPath), repo, "main")
 			verifyResponseOK(t, uploadResp, err)
 		}
 		verifyPrepareGarbageCollection(t, repo, 1, true)
@@ -3806,8 +3827,8 @@ func TestController_PrepareGarbageCollectionUncommitted(t *testing.T) {
 		testutil.Must(t, err)
 		const items = 3
 		for i := 0; i < items; i++ {
-			path := fmt.Sprintf("committed/obj%d", i)
-			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, path, strings.NewReader(path), repo, "main")
+			objPath := fmt.Sprintf("committed/obj%d", i)
+			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, objPath, strings.NewReader(objPath), repo, "main")
 			verifyResponseOK(t, uploadResp, err)
 		}
 		if _, err := deps.catalog.Commit(ctx, repo, "main", "committed objects", "some_user", nil, nil, nil); err != nil {
@@ -3822,14 +3843,14 @@ func TestController_PrepareGarbageCollectionUncommitted(t *testing.T) {
 		testutil.Must(t, err)
 		const items = 3
 		for i := 0; i < items; i++ {
-			path := fmt.Sprintf("uncommitted/obj%d", i)
-			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, path, strings.NewReader(path), repo, "main")
+			objPath := fmt.Sprintf("uncommitted/obj%d", i)
+			uploadResp, err := uploadObjectHelper(t, ctx, clt, objPath, strings.NewReader(objPath), repo, "main")
 			verifyResponseOK(t, uploadResp, err)
 
 			copyResp, err := clt.CopyObjectWithResponse(ctx, repo, "main",
 				&apigen.CopyObjectParams{DestPath: fmt.Sprintf("copy/obj%d", i)},
 				apigen.CopyObjectJSONRequestBody{
-					SrcPath: path,
+					SrcPath: objPath,
 				})
 			verifyResponseOK(t, copyResp, err)
 		}