diff --git a/include/wx/webrequest.h b/include/wx/webrequest.h
index 644be4eb89..1cf1604e00 100644
--- a/include/wx/webrequest.h
+++ b/include/wx/webrequest.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
 
     void SetData(const wxString& text, const wxString& contentType, const wxMBConv& conv = wxConvUTF8);
 
-    void SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> dataStream, const wxString& contentType, wxFileOffset dataSize = wxInvalidOffset);
+    bool SetData(const wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream>& dataStream, const wxString& contentType, wxFileOffset dataSize = wxInvalidOffset);
 
     void SetIgnoreServerErrorStatus(bool ignore) { m_ignoreServerErrorStatus = ignore; }
 
diff --git a/interface/wx/webrequest.h b/interface/wx/webrequest.h
index 2e2f443854..841c95bab7 100644
--- a/interface/wx/webrequest.h
+++ b/interface/wx/webrequest.h
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ public:
         this request.
 
         @param dataStream
-            The data in this stream will be posted as the request body
+            The data in this stream will be posted as the request body. The
+            stream may be empty, which will result in sending 0 bytes of data,
+            but if not empty, should be valid.
         @param contentType
             The value of HTTP "Content-Type" header, e.g.
             "application/octet-stream".
@@ -253,8 +255,11 @@ public:
             Amount of data which is sent to the server. If set to
             @c wxInvalidOffset all stream data is sent.
 
+        @return @false if @a dataStream is not-empty but invalid or if @a
+            dataSize is not specified and the attempt to determine stream size
+            failed; @true in all the other cases.
     */
-    void SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> dataStream,
+    bool SetData(const wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream>& dataStream,
         const wxString& contentType, wxFileOffset dataSize = wxInvalidOffset);
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/common/webrequest.cpp b/src/common/webrequest.cpp
index 48f63d4bc7..e4bb3d6171 100644
--- a/src/common/webrequest.cpp
+++ b/src/common/webrequest.cpp
@@ -83,8 +83,11 @@ void wxWebRequest::SetData(const wxString& text, const wxString& contentType, co
     SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream>(new wxMemoryInputStream(m_dataText, m_dataText.length())), contentType);
 }
 
-void wxWebRequest::SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> dataStream, const wxString& contentType, wxFileOffset dataSize)
+bool wxWebRequest::SetData(const wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream>& dataStream, const wxString& contentType, wxFileOffset dataSize)
 {
+    if ( !dataStream->IsOk() )
+        return false;
+
     m_dataStream = dataStream;
     if ( m_dataStream.get() )
     {
@@ -92,6 +95,9 @@ void wxWebRequest::SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> dataStream, const wxString
         {
             // Determine data size
             m_dataSize = m_dataStream->SeekI(0, wxFromEnd);
+            if ( m_dataSize == wxInvalidOffset )
+                return false;
+
             m_dataStream->SeekI(0);
         }
         else
@@ -101,6 +107,8 @@ void wxWebRequest::SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> dataStream, const wxString
         m_dataSize = 0;
 
     SetHeader("Content-Type", contentType);
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 wxFileOffset wxWebRequest::GetBytesReceived() const
diff --git a/tests/net/webrequest.cpp b/tests/net/webrequest.cpp
index b2c0de4223..3482492d11 100644
--- a/tests/net/webrequest.cpp
+++ b/tests/net/webrequest.cpp
@@ -172,8 +172,10 @@ TEST_CASE_METHOD(RequestFixture, "WebRequest", "[net][.]")
     SECTION("PUT file data")
     {
         Create("/put");
-        request->SetData(wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream>(new wxFileInputStream("horse.png")),
-            "image/png");
+        wxSharedPtr<wxInputStream> is(new wxFileInputStream("horse.png"));
+        REQUIRE( is->IsOk() );
+
+        request->SetData(is, "image/png");
         request->SetMethod("PUT");
         Run();
     }