diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/light_push/index.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/light_push/index.ts
index d7b7b4b6b3..c9b1e92b3e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/light_push/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/light_push/index.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   SendResult
 } from "@waku/interfaces";
 import { PushResponse } from "@waku/proto";
-import { ensurePubsubTopicIsConfigured, isSizeValid } from "@waku/utils";
+import { ensurePubsubTopicIsConfigured, isSizeUnderCap } from "@waku/utils";
 import debug from "debug";
 import all from "it-all";
 import * as lp from "it-length-prefixed";
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ class LightPush extends BaseProtocol implements ILightPush {
     pubsubTopic: string
   ): Promise<PreparePushMessageResult> {
     try {
-      if (!isSizeValid(message.payload)) {
+      if (!message.payload || message.payload.length === 0) {
+        log("Failed to send waku light push: payload is empty");
+        return { query: null, error: SendError.EMPTY_PAYLOAD };
+      }
+
+      if (!isSizeUnderCap(message.payload)) {
         log("Failed to send waku light push: message is bigger than 1MB");
         return { query: null, error: SendError.SIZE_TOO_BIG };
       }
diff --git a/packages/interfaces/src/protocols.ts b/packages/interfaces/src/protocols.ts
index 923ddfc4e5..21a0a49720 100644
--- a/packages/interfaces/src/protocols.ts
+++ b/packages/interfaces/src/protocols.ts
@@ -67,13 +67,23 @@ export type Callback<T extends IDecodedMessage> = (
 export enum SendError {
   /** Could not determine the origin of the fault. Best to check connectivity and try again */
   GENERIC_FAIL = "Generic error",
-  /** Failure to protobuf encode the message. This is not recoverable and needs
-   * further investigation. */
+  /**
+   * Failure to protobuf encode the message. This is not recoverable and needs
+   * further investigation.
+   */
   ENCODE_FAILED = "Failed to encode",
-  /** Failure to protobuf decode the message. May be due to a remote peer issue,
-   * ensuring that messages are sent via several peer enable mitigation of this error.. */
+  /**
+   * Failure to protobuf decode the message. May be due to a remote peer issue,
+   * ensuring that messages are sent via several peer enable mitigation of this error.
+   */
   DECODE_FAILED = "Failed to decode",
-  /** The message size is above the maximum message size allowed on the Waku Network.
+  /**
+   * The message payload is empty, making the message invalid. Ensure that a non-empty
+   * payload is set on the outgoing message.
+   */
+  EMPTY_PAYLOAD = "Payload is empty",
+  /**
+   * The message size is above the maximum message size allowed on the Waku Network.
    * Compressing the message or using an alternative strategy for large messages is recommended.
    */
   SIZE_TOO_BIG = "Size is too big",
diff --git a/packages/relay/src/index.ts b/packages/relay/src/index.ts
index 28270ba03c..fcd458cc1e 100644
--- a/packages/relay/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/relay/src/index.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import {
   SendError,
   SendResult
 } from "@waku/interfaces";
-import { isSizeValid, toAsyncIterator } from "@waku/utils";
+import { isSizeUnderCap, toAsyncIterator } from "@waku/utils";
 import { pushOrInitMapSet } from "@waku/utils";
 import debug from "debug";
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class Relay implements IRelay {
       };
     }
 
-    if (!isSizeValid(message.payload)) {
+    if (!isSizeUnderCap(message.payload)) {
       log("Failed to send waku relay: message is bigger that 1MB");
       return {
         recipients,
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
index 4e47a4b451..2a08701c71 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
@@ -74,24 +74,13 @@ describe("Waku Light Push", function () {
     }
   });
 
-  it("Fails to push message with empty payload", async function () {
+  it("Throws when trying to push message with empty payload", async function () {
     const pushResponse = await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, {
-      payload: utf8ToBytes("")
+      payload: new Uint8Array()
     });
 
-    if (nwaku.type() == "go-waku") {
-      expect(pushResponse.recipients.length).to.eq(1);
-      expect(await messageCollector.waitForMessages(1)).to.eq(true);
-      messageCollector.verifyReceivedMessage(0, {
-        expectedMessageText: undefined,
-        expectedContentTopic: TestContentTopic
-      });
-    } else {
-      expect(pushResponse.recipients.length).to.eq(0);
-      // This should be `REMOTE_PEER_REJECTED`, tracked with https://github.com/waku-org/nwaku/issues/1641
-      expect(pushResponse.errors).to.include(SendError.REMOTE_PEER_FAULT);
-      expect(await messageCollector.waitForMessages(1)).to.eq(false);
-    }
+    expect(pushResponse.errors).to.include(SendError.EMPTY_PAYLOAD);
+    expect(await messageCollector.waitForMessages(1)).to.eq(false);
   });
 
   TEST_STRING.forEach((testItem) => {
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/common/is_size_valid.ts b/packages/utils/src/common/is_size_valid.ts
index 9585b32224..7c565b321b 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/common/is_size_valid.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/common/is_size_valid.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const MB = 1024 ** 2;
 const SIZE_CAP = 1; // 1 MB
 
-export const isSizeValid = (payload: Uint8Array): boolean => {
+export const isSizeUnderCap = (payload: Uint8Array): boolean => {
   if (payload.length / MB > SIZE_CAP) {
     return false;
   }