diff --git a/partition-core/src/main/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/model/PartitionInfo.java b/partition-core/src/main/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/model/PartitionInfo.java
index 4f2ce72d010428f55661593bcad008f00e91e5c8..ca0750b3d57e96d45eba8d447ed87706cdf8f58e 100644
--- a/partition-core/src/main/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/model/PartitionInfo.java
+++ b/partition-core/src/main/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/model/PartitionInfo.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package org.opengroup.osdu.partition.model;
 
+import javax.validation.constraints.NotEmpty;
 import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Builder;
 import lombok.Data;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 @NoArgsConstructor
 public class PartitionInfo {
 
+    @NotEmpty
     @Builder.Default
     Map<String, Property> properties = new HashMap<>();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testing/partition-test-gcp/src/test/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/api/TestCreatePartition.java b/testing/partition-test-gcp/src/test/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/api/TestCreatePartition.java
index 31b9eb1f65216e0a8be37e7cffee36c056f72f8b..dd143a3cf1d05aa37eab1095e77d1c9349362e39 100644
--- a/testing/partition-test-gcp/src/test/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/api/TestCreatePartition.java
+++ b/testing/partition-test-gcp/src/test/java/org/opengroup/osdu/partition/api/TestCreatePartition.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class TestCreatePartition extends CreatePartitionTest {
   @Override
   @Test
   public void should_return40XResponseCode_when_makingRequest_withInvalidPayload() throws Exception {
-    String invalidPayload = "invalidPayload";
+    String invalidPayload = "{\"properties_invalid\":{}}";
     ClientResponse response = descriptor.runWithCustomPayload(getId(), invalidPayload, testUtils.getAccessToken());
     assertEquals(400, response.getStatus());
   }