diff --git a/app/services/s3_query_service.rb b/app/services/s3_query_service.rb
index c37161915..93e0a8cf6 100644
--- a/app/services/s3_query_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/s3_query_service.rb
@@ -332,7 +332,15 @@ def md5(io:)
   def count_objects(bucket_name: self.bucket_name, prefix: self.prefix)
     responses = s3_responses(bucket_name:, prefix:)
     total_key_count = responses.reduce(0) { |total, resp| total + resp.key_count }
-    total_key_count - 1 # s3 always sends back the bucket key as the first response, so we should not count it
+    if total_key_count == 0
+      # if the bucket does not exist
+      # it will return 0
+      0
+    else
+      # if the bucket does exist
+      # s3 always sends back the bucket key as the first response, so we should not count it
+      total_key_count - 1
+    end
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/spec/services/s3_query_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/s3_query_service_spec.rb
index 0c09431bd..3c764822f 100644
--- a/spec/services/s3_query_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/s3_query_service_spec.rb
@@ -401,6 +401,17 @@
           expect(s3_query_service.count_objects).to eq(7) # do not count the bucket the first time
         end
       end
+
+      context "an empty response" do
+        before do
+          fake_s3_resp.stub(:key_count).and_return(0)
+          fake_s3_resp.stub(:is_truncated).and_return(false)
+        end
+
+        it "returns all the objects" do
+          expect(s3_query_service.count_objects).to eq(0)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end