diff --git a/include/proto/http_htx.h b/include/proto/http_htx.h
index e33fdbec6..26df97f27 100644
--- a/include/proto/http_htx.h
+++ b/include/proto/http_htx.h
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@ unsigned int http_get_htx_hdr(const struct htx *htx, const struct ist hdr,
 			      int occ, struct http_hdr_ctx *ctx, char **vptr, size_t *vlen);
 unsigned int http_get_htx_fhdr(const struct htx *htx, const struct ist hdr,
 			       int occ, struct http_hdr_ctx *ctx, char **vptr, size_t *vlen);
-struct htx *http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw);
+int http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw);
 
 #endif /* _PROTO_HTTP_HTX_H */
diff --git a/src/http_htx.c b/src/http_htx.c
index 07ff191c9..7f4f7e9a6 100644
--- a/src/http_htx.c
+++ b/src/http_htx.c
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ unsigned int http_get_htx_fhdr(const struct htx *htx, const struct ist hdr,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-struct htx *http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw)
+int http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw)
 {
 	struct htx *htx;
 	struct htx_sl *sl;
@@ -610,11 +610,17 @@ struct htx *http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw)
 	unsigned int flags = HTX_SL_F_IS_RESP;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	b_reset(buf);
+	if (!raw.len) {
+		buf->size = 0;
+		buf->area = malloc(raw.len);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	buf->size = global.tune.bufsize;
 	buf->area = (char *)malloc(buf->size);
 	if (!buf->area)
 		goto error;
-	b_reset(buf);
 
 	h1m_init_res(&h1m);
 	h1m.flags |= H1_MF_NO_PHDR;
@@ -663,12 +669,12 @@ struct htx *http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw)
 	if (!htx_add_endof(htx, HTX_BLK_EOM))
 		goto error;
 
-	return htx;
+	return 1;
 
 error:
 	if (buf->size)
 		free(buf->area);
-	return NULL;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int http_htx_init(void)