diff --git a/s3api/controllers/bucket-put.go b/s3api/controllers/bucket-put.go
index 04c0311f..860fb015 100644
--- a/s3api/controllers/bucket-put.go
+++ b/s3api/controllers/bucket-put.go
@@ -108,11 +108,16 @@ func (c S3ApiController) PutBucketOwnershipControls(ctx *fiber.Ctx) (*Response,
 	}
 
 	rulesCount := len(ownershipControls.Rules)
-	isValidOwnership := utils.IsValidOwnership(ownershipControls.Rules[0].ObjectOwnership)
-	if rulesCount != 1 || !isValidOwnership {
-		if rulesCount != 1 {
-			debuglogger.Logf("ownership control rules should be 1, got %v", rulesCount)
-		}
+	if rulesCount != 1 {
+		debuglogger.Logf("ownership control rules should be 1, got %v", rulesCount)
+		return &Response{
+			MetaOpts: &MetaOptions{
+				BucketOwner: parsedAcl.Owner,
+			},
+		}, s3err.GetAPIError(s3err.ErrMalformedXML)
+	}
+
+	if !utils.IsValidOwnership(ownershipControls.Rules[0].ObjectOwnership) {
 		return &Response{
 			MetaOpts: &MetaOptions{
 				BucketOwner: parsedAcl.Owner,
diff --git a/s3api/controllers/bucket-put_test.go b/s3api/controllers/bucket-put_test.go
index bffe4662..c699eb8a 100644
--- a/s3api/controllers/bucket-put_test.go
+++ b/s3api/controllers/bucket-put_test.go
@@ -158,6 +158,11 @@ func TestS3ApiController_PutBucketOwnershipControls(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	emptyRulesBody, err := xml.Marshal(
+		s3response.OwnershipControls{},
+	)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		name   string
 		input  testInput
@@ -203,6 +208,19 @@ func TestS3ApiController_PutBucketOwnershipControls(t *testing.T) {
 				err: s3err.GetAPIError(s3err.ErrMalformedXML),
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "empty rules count",
+			input: testInput{
+				locals: defaultLocals,
+				body:   emptyRulesBody,
+			},
+			output: testOutput{
+				response: &Response{
+					MetaOpts: &MetaOptions{BucketOwner: "root"},
+				},
+				err: s3err.GetAPIError(s3err.ErrMalformedXML),
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "backend error",
 			input: testInput{
diff --git a/tests/integration/PutBucketOwnershipControls.go b/tests/integration/PutBucketOwnershipControls.go
index b9e116ec..ad0c823c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/PutBucketOwnershipControls.go
+++ b/tests/integration/PutBucketOwnershipControls.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ package integration
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/s3"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/s3/types"
@@ -94,6 +96,26 @@ func PutBucketOwnershipControls_invalid_ownership(s *S3Conf) error {
 	})
 }
 
+func PutBucketOwnershipControls_empty_rules(s *S3Conf) error {
+	testName := "PutBucketOwnershipControls_empty_rules"
+	return actionHandler(s, testName, func(_ *s3.Client, bucket string) error {
+		body := []byte(`<OwnershipControls xmlns="http://s3.amazonaws.com/doc/2006-03-01/"></OwnershipControls>`)
+		req, err := createSignedReq(http.MethodPut, s.endpoint, bucket+"?ownershipControls", s.awsID, s.awsSecret, "s3", s.awsRegion, "", body, time.Now(), map[string]string{
+			"Content-Type": "application/xml",
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		resp, err := s.httpClient.Do(req)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return checkHTTPResponseApiErr(resp, s3err.GetAPIError(s3err.ErrMalformedXML))
+	})
+}
+
 func PutBucketOwnershipControls_success(s *S3Conf) error {
 	testName := "PutBucketOwnershipControls_success"
 	return actionHandler(s, testName, func(s3client *s3.Client, bucket string) error {
diff --git a/tests/integration/group-tests.go b/tests/integration/group-tests.go
index 0bd7254b..4ef10bd5 100644
--- a/tests/integration/group-tests.go
+++ b/tests/integration/group-tests.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func TestPutBucketOwnershipControls(ts *TestState) {
 	ts.Run(PutBucketOwnershipControls_non_existing_bucket)
 	ts.Run(PutBucketOwnershipControls_multiple_rules)
 	ts.Run(PutBucketOwnershipControls_invalid_ownership)
+	ts.Run(PutBucketOwnershipControls_empty_rules)
 	ts.Run(PutBucketOwnershipControls_success)
 }
 
@@ -1383,6 +1384,7 @@ func GetIntTests() IntTests {
 		"PutBucketOwnershipControls_non_existing_bucket":                           PutBucketOwnershipControls_non_existing_bucket,
 		"PutBucketOwnershipControls_multiple_rules":                                PutBucketOwnershipControls_multiple_rules,
 		"PutBucketOwnershipControls_invalid_ownership":                             PutBucketOwnershipControls_invalid_ownership,
+		"PutBucketOwnershipControls_empty_rules":                                   PutBucketOwnershipControls_empty_rules,
 		"PutBucketOwnershipControls_success":                                       PutBucketOwnershipControls_success,
 		"GetBucketOwnershipControls_non_existing_bucket":                           GetBucketOwnershipControls_non_existing_bucket,
 		"GetBucketOwnershipControls_default_ownership":                             GetBucketOwnershipControls_default_ownership,