diff --git a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/simple_client_ar.sh b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/simple_client_ar.sh
index c4639bf63b806f1e21e45c602402bf7397868c1d..465eb94a48e2029c9b7341b84f525cd86bcc971d 100644
--- a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/simple_client_ar.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/simple_client_ar.sh
@@ -78,8 +78,33 @@ echo "********"
 echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} rm /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}"
 eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} rm /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}
 
+#
+# Check we can copy zero-length files into the namespace by touch and copy
+#
+echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch"
+eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch
+echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch"
+eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch
+echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero"
+eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero
+echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero"
+eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} cp /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero
+
+if [ -f /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch -a ! -s /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch -a -f /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero -a ! -s /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero ]; then
+  echo "Zero-length file copy succeeded"
+  zeroLengthTests=1
+else
+  echo "Zero-length file copy failed"
+  zeroLengthTests=0
+fi
+# Clean up
+echo "eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} rm /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero"
+eos root://${EOSINSTANCE} rm /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /eos/ctaeos/cta/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero
+rm -f /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.touch /tmp/${TEST_FILE_NAME}.zero
+
+# Report results
 msgNum=$(grep "\"File suc" /mnt/logs/tpsrv*/taped/cta/cta-taped.log | grep ${TEST_FILE_NAME} | tail -n 4 | wc -l)
-if [ $msgNum == "4" ]; then
+if [ "$msgNum" = "4" -a $zeroLengthTests -eq 1 ]; then
   echo "OK: all tests passed"
     rc=0
 else