diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/MultipartFileOrUrl.java b/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/MultipartFileOrUrl.java
index 7fdfbce87..ff48490bf 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/MultipartFileOrUrl.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/MultipartFileOrUrl.java
@@ -2,23 +2,27 @@
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
 import io.papermc.hangar.controller.validations.Validate;
+import io.papermc.hangar.exceptions.HangarApiException;
 import io.papermc.hangar.model.common.Platform;
 import io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema;
-import jakarta.validation.constraints.Size;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 // @el(root: String) // can't figure out how to apply this to just the one record component
 @Schema(description = "List of different jars/external links that are part of the version")
 public record MultipartFileOrUrl(
-    @Size(min = 1, max = 3, message = "version.new.error.invalidNumOfPlatforms")
-    @Schema(description = "List of platforms this jar runs on", example = "[PAPER, WATERFALL, VELOCITY]")
-    List<Platform> platforms,
+    @Schema(description = "List of platforms this jar runs on", example = "[PAPER, WATERFALL, VELOCITY]") List<Platform> platforms,
     @Nullable @Validate(SpEL = "@validate.regex(#root, @hangarConfig.urlRegex)", message = "validation.invalidUrl")
     @Schema(description = "External url to download the jar from if not provided via an attached jar, else null", example = "https://papermc.io/downloads")
     String externalUrl
 ) {
 
+    public MultipartFileOrUrl {
+        if (platforms == null || platforms.isEmpty() || platforms.size() > 3) {
+            throw new HangarApiException("version.new.error.invalidNumOfPlatforms");
+        }
+    }
+
     @JsonIgnore
     public boolean isUrl() {
         return this.externalUrl != null && !this.externalUrl.isEmpty();
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/VersionUpload.java b/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/VersionUpload.java
index 478a7da6d..f47a85e2e 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/VersionUpload.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/io/papermc/hangar/model/internal/versions/VersionUpload.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ public class VersionUpload {
     // @el(root: String)
     private final @Validate(SpEL = "@validate.max(#root, @hangarConfig.pages.maxLen)", message = "page.new.error.maxLength") String description;
     @Size(min = 1, max = 3, message = "version.new.error.invalidNumOfPlatforms")
-    @NotEmpty(message = "version.new.error.invalidNumOfPlatforms")
     private final List<@Valid MultipartFileOrUrl> files;
 
     // @el(root: String)