diff --git a/hrp/step_api.go b/hrp/step_api.go
index d8483997..f31e96bd 100644
--- a/hrp/step_api.go
+++ b/hrp/step_api.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package hrp
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/jinzhu/copier"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ func extendWithAPI(testStep *TStep, overriddenStep *API) {
 	// merge & override request
 	testStep.Request = overriddenStep.Request
 	// init upload
-	if testStep.Request.Upload != nil {
+	if len(testStep.Request.Upload) != 0 {
 		initUpload(testStep)
 	}
 	// merge & override variables
diff --git a/hrp/step_request.go b/hrp/step_request.go
index ced2e319..651ce8fe 100644
--- a/hrp/step_request.go
+++ b/hrp/step_request.go
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func initUpload(step *TStep) {
 }
 
 func prepareUpload(parser *Parser, step *TStep, stepVariables map[string]interface{}) (err error) {
-	if step.Request.Upload == nil {
+	if len(step.Request.Upload) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
 	uploadMap, err := parser.Parse(step.Request.Upload, stepVariables)
diff --git a/hrp/testcase.go b/hrp/testcase.go
index 55e40dd4..6bc6de4e 100644
--- a/hrp/testcase.go
+++ b/hrp/testcase.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (path *TestCasePath) ToTestCase() (*TestCase, error) {
 			})
 		} else if step.Request != nil {
 			// init upload
-			if step.Request.Upload != nil {
+			if len(step.Request.Upload) != 0 {
 				initUpload(step)
 			}
 			testCase.TestSteps = append(testCase.TestSteps, &StepRequestWithOptionalArgs{