diff --git a/src/app/shared/mocks/mock-submission.ts b/src/app/shared/mocks/mock-submission.ts
index 922e6ad02d..805612c758 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/mocks/mock-submission.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/mocks/mock-submission.ts
@@ -1325,7 +1325,7 @@ export const mockUploadConfigResponse = {
     },
     self: 'https://rest.api/dspace-spring-rest/api/config/submissionforms/bitstream-metadata'
   },
-  required: false,
+  required: true,
   maxSize: 536870912,
   name: 'upload',
   type: 'submissionupload',
@@ -1336,6 +1336,9 @@ export const mockUploadConfigResponse = {
   self: 'https://rest.api/dspace-spring-rest/api/config/submissionuploads/upload'
 };
 
+export const mockUploadConfigResponseNotRequired = mockUploadConfigResponse;
+mockUploadConfigResponseNotRequired.required = false;
+
 export const mockAccessConditionOptions = [
   {
     name: 'openaccess',
diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.spec.ts b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.spec.ts
index fd9f88d939..58ad12ddc9 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.spec.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   mockSubmissionId,
   mockSubmissionState,
   mockUploadConfigResponse,
+  mockUploadConfigResponseNotRequired,
   mockUploadFiles
 } from '../../../shared/mocks/mock-submission';
 import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ describe('SubmissionSectionUploadComponent test suite', () => {
       expect(comp.collectionName).toBe(mockCollection.name);
       expect(comp.availableAccessConditionOptions.length).toBe(4);
       expect(comp.availableAccessConditionOptions).toEqual(mockUploadConfigResponse.accessConditionOptions as any);
+      expect(comp.required).toBe(true);
       expect(compAsAny.subs.length).toBe(2);
       expect(compAsAny.availableGroups.size).toBe(2);
       expect(compAsAny.availableGroups).toEqual(expectedGroupsMap);
@@ -254,6 +256,7 @@ describe('SubmissionSectionUploadComponent test suite', () => {
       expect(comp.collectionName).toBe(mockCollection.name);
       expect(comp.availableAccessConditionOptions.length).toBe(4);
       expect(comp.availableAccessConditionOptions).toEqual(mockUploadConfigResponse.accessConditionOptions as any);
+      expect(comp.required).toBe(true);
       expect(compAsAny.subs.length).toBe(2);
       expect(compAsAny.availableGroups.size).toBe(2);
       expect(compAsAny.availableGroups).toEqual(expectedGroupsMap);
@@ -263,17 +266,41 @@ describe('SubmissionSectionUploadComponent test suite', () => {
 
     });
 
-    it('should the properly section status', () => {
+    it('should properly read the section status', () => {
       bitstreamService.getUploadedFileList.and.returnValue(hot('-a-b', {
         a: [],
         b: mockUploadFiles
       }));
 
+      expect(comp.required).toBe(true);
+
       expect(compAsAny.getSectionStatus()).toBeObservable(cold('-c-d', {
         c: false,
         d: true
       }));
     });
+
+    it('should properly read the section status when required is false', () => {
+      uploadsConfigService.getConfigByHref.and.returnValue(observableOf(
+        new ConfigData(new PageInfo(), mockUploadConfigResponseNotRequired as any)
+      ));
+
+      bitstreamService.getUploadedFileList.and.returnValue(observableOf(mockUploadFiles));
+
+      comp.onSectionInit();
+
+      bitstreamService.getUploadedFileList.and.returnValue(hot('-a-b', {
+        a: [],
+        b: mockUploadFiles
+      }));
+
+      expect(comp.required).toBe(false);
+
+      expect(compAsAny.getSectionStatus()).toBeObservable(cold('-c-d', {
+        c: true,
+        d: true
+      }));
+    });
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.ts b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.ts
index 9dbd1079f4..24bb658d71 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ export class SubmissionSectionUploadComponent extends SectionModelComponent {
    */
   protected availableGroups: Map<string, Group[]>; // Groups for any policy
 
+  /**
+   * Is the upload required
+   * @type {boolean}
+   */
+  public required: boolean;
+
   /**
    * Array to track all subscriptions and unsubscribe them onDestroy
    * @type {Array}
@@ -172,6 +178,7 @@ export class SubmissionSectionUploadComponent extends SectionModelComponent {
         }),
         flatMap(() => config$),
         flatMap((config: SubmissionUploadsModel) => {
+          this.required = config.required;
           this.availableAccessConditionOptions = isNotEmpty(config.accessConditionOptions) ? config.accessConditionOptions : [];
 
           this.collectionPolicyType = this.availableAccessConditionOptions.length > 0
@@ -273,8 +280,11 @@ export class SubmissionSectionUploadComponent extends SectionModelComponent {
    *     the section status
    */
   protected getSectionStatus(): Observable<boolean> {
+    // if not mandatory, always true
+    // if mandatory, at least one file is required
     return this.bitstreamService.getUploadedFileList(this.submissionId, this.sectionData.id).pipe(
-      map((fileList: any[]) => (isNotUndefined(fileList) && fileList.length > 0)));
+      map((fileList: any[]) =>
+        (!this.required || (isNotUndefined(fileList) && fileList.length > 0))));
   }
 
   /**