diff --git a/engines/python/setup/djl_python/input_parser.py b/engines/python/setup/djl_python/input_parser.py
index 4169840bb..af06ca61d 100644
--- a/engines/python/setup/djl_python/input_parser.py
+++ b/engines/python/setup/djl_python/input_parser.py
@@ -266,6 +266,16 @@ def parse_lmi_default_request_rolling_batch(payload):
             f"Invalid request payload. Request payload should be a json object specifying the 'inputs' field. Received payload {payload}"
         )
 
+    if not isinstance(inputs, str):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid request payload. The 'inputs' field must be a string. Received type {type(inputs)}"
+        )
+
+    if len(inputs) == 0:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid request payload. The 'inputs' field does not contain any content. Received payload {payload}"
+        )
+
     parameters = payload.get("parameters", {})
     if not isinstance(parameters, dict):
         raise ValueError(
diff --git a/serving/src/main/java/ai/djl/serving/http/InferenceRequestHandler.java b/serving/src/main/java/ai/djl/serving/http/InferenceRequestHandler.java
index 308145649..73b98e9de 100644
--- a/serving/src/main/java/ai/djl/serving/http/InferenceRequestHandler.java
+++ b/serving/src/main/java/ai/djl/serving/http/InferenceRequestHandler.java
@@ -420,7 +420,11 @@ void sendOutput(Output output, ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
                     // This allows inference update HTTP code.
                     // If this is the first and last chunk, we're in a non-streaming case and can
                     // use default response without chunked transfer encoding
+                    // Note, we have to read the code and message from output AGAIN here.
+                    // They get changed to different values from when we read them at the start of
+                    // this method
                     if (first && !supplier.hasNext()) {
+                        status = new HttpResponseStatus(output.getCode(), output.getMessage());
                         FullHttpResponse resp =
                                 new DefaultFullHttpResponse(HttpVersion.HTTP_1_1, status);
                         for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : output.getProperties().entrySet()) {
@@ -433,8 +437,7 @@ void sendOutput(Output output, ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
                         return;
                     }
                     if (first) {
-                        code = output.getCode();
-                        status = new HttpResponseStatus(code, output.getMessage());
+                        status = new HttpResponseStatus(output.getCode(), output.getMessage());
                         HttpResponse resp = new DefaultHttpResponse(HttpVersion.HTTP_1_1, status);
                         for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : output.getProperties().entrySet()) {
                             resp.headers().set(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());