diff --git a/lib/stores/DataStore.js b/lib/stores/DataStore.js
index 7119f62a..885ff7a7 100644
--- a/lib/stores/DataStore.js
+++ b/lib/stores/DataStore.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class DataStore extends EventEmitter {
      */
     write(req) {
         log('[DataStore] write');
-        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        return new Promise((resolve) => {
             // Stub resolve for tests
             const offset = 0;
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class DataStore extends EventEmitter {
 
     /**
      * Called in HEAD requests. This method should return the bytes
-     * writen to the DataStore, for the client to know where to resume
+     * written to the DataStore, for the client to know where to resume
      * the upload.
      *
      * @param  {string} id     filename
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ class DataStore extends EventEmitter {
      * @return {Object}                 metadata as key-value pair
      */
     _parseMetadataString(metadata_string) {
+        if (!metadata_string || !metadata_string.length) {
+            return {};
+        }
         const kv_pair_list = metadata_string.split(',');
 
         return kv_pair_list.reduce((metadata, kv_pair) => {
diff --git a/lib/stores/GCSDataStore.js b/lib/stores/GCSDataStore.js
index 6008221b..5ac3f943 100644
--- a/lib/stores/GCSDataStore.js
+++ b/lib/stores/GCSDataStore.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class GCSDataStore extends DataStore {
             const gcs_file = this.bucket.file(file.id);
             const parsedMetadata = this._parseMetadataString(upload_metadata);
             const options = {
-                contentType: parsedMetadata.type.decoded,
+                contentType: parsedMetadata.filetype && parsedMetadata.filetype.decoded,
                 metadata: {
                     metadata: {
                         upload_length: file.upload_length,
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class GCSDataStore extends DataStore {
                 const options = {
                     offset,
                     metadata: {
-                        contentType: parsedMetadata.type.decoded,
+                        contentType: parsedMetadata.filetype && parsedMetadata.filetype.decoded,
                         metadata: {
                             upload_length: data.upload_length,
                             tus_version: TUS_RESUMABLE,
diff --git a/test/Test-DataStore.js b/test/Test-DataStore.js
index a376faad..3031fa46 100644
--- a/test/Test-DataStore.js
+++ b/test/Test-DataStore.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ describe('DataStore', () => {
     it('must have a _parseMetadataString method', (done) => {
         datastore.should.have.property('_parseMetadataString');
         const uploadMetadata = 'type YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,name bXktZmlsZS5wZGY=,filetype YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,filename bXktZmlsZS5wZGY='
-        const parsed = datastore._parseMetadataString(uploadMetadata);
+        let parsed = datastore._parseMetadataString(uploadMetadata);
         parsed.should.deepEqual({
             "filename": {
                 "decoded": "my-file.pdf",
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ describe('DataStore', () => {
                 "encoded": "YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm"
             }
         })
+        parsed = datastore._parseMetadataString(null);
+        parsed.should.deepEqual({})
         done();
     });
 });
diff --git a/test/Test-GCSDataStore.js b/test/Test-GCSDataStore.js
index 9e85d05b..2b4ef34b 100644
--- a/test/Test-GCSDataStore.js
+++ b/test/Test-GCSDataStore.js
@@ -128,9 +128,11 @@ describe('GCSDataStore', () => {
         });
 
         it('should create a file', (done) => {
+            const uploadMetadata = 'type YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,name bXktZmlsZS5wZGY=,filetype YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,filename bXktZmlsZS5wZGY='
             const req = {
                 headers: {
                     'upload-length': TEST_FILE_SIZE,
+                    'upload-metadata': uploadMetadata,
                 },
             };
             server.datastore.create(req)
@@ -144,6 +146,7 @@ describe('GCSDataStore', () => {
 
 
         it(`should fire the ${EVENTS.EVENT_FILE_CREATED} event`, (done) => {
+          const uploadMetadata = 'type YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,name bXktZmlsZS5wZGY=,filetype YXBwbGljYXRpb24vcGRm,filename bXktZmlsZS5wZGY='
             server.datastore.on(EVENTS.EVENT_FILE_CREATED, (event) => {
                 event.should.have.property('file');
                 assert.equal(event.file instanceof File, true);
@@ -153,6 +156,7 @@ describe('GCSDataStore', () => {
             const req = {
                 headers: {
                     'upload-length': TEST_FILE_SIZE,
+                  'upload-metadata': uploadMetadata,
                 },
             };
             server.datastore.create(req)
@@ -199,8 +203,7 @@ describe('GCSDataStore', () => {
             // TODO: upload this file to the bucket first
             return server.datastore.getOffset(FILE_ALREADY_IN_BUCKET)
                     .should.be.fulfilledWith({
-                        size: TEST_FILE_SIZE,
-                        upload_length: TEST_FILE_SIZE,
+                        size: TEST_FILE_SIZE
                     });
         });
     });