diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/fix-decomposedfs-upload.md b/changelog/unreleased/fix-decomposedfs-upload.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0a49f6ca7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/fix-decomposedfs-upload.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Bugfix: fix decomposedfs upload
+
+The FS.Upload() implementation needs to handle direct uploads that did not initiate a unpload.
+
+https://github.com/cs3org/reva/pull/2330
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/rhttp/datatx/manager/spaces/spaces.go b/pkg/rhttp/datatx/manager/spaces/spaces.go
index 120697e7dd..2a314a0993 100644
--- a/pkg/rhttp/datatx/manager/spaces/spaces.go
+++ b/pkg/rhttp/datatx/manager/spaces/spaces.go
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ package spaces
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"path"
-	"strings"
 
 	provider "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/storage/provider/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/appctx"
@@ -78,10 +76,8 @@ func (m *manager) Handler(fs storage.FS) (http.Handler, error) {
 		case "GET", "HEAD":
 			download.GetOrHeadFile(w, r, fs, spaceID)
 		case "PUT":
-			// make a clean relative path
-			fn := path.Clean(strings.TrimLeft(r.URL.Path, "/"))
+			fn := utils.MakeRelativePath(r.URL.Path)
 			defer r.Body.Close()
-
 			// TODO refactor: pass Reference to Upload & GetOrHeadFile
 			// build a storage space reference
 			storageid, opaqeid := utils.SplitStorageSpaceID(spaceID)
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload.go
index f9f2a1bf99..9075c3d5da 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload.go
@@ -58,7 +58,19 @@ var defaultFilePerm = os.FileMode(0664)
 func (fs *Decomposedfs) Upload(ctx context.Context, ref *provider.Reference, r io.ReadCloser) (err error) {
 	upload, err := fs.GetUpload(ctx, ref.GetPath())
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "Decomposedfs: error retrieving upload")
+		// Upload corresponding to this ID was not found.
+		// Assume that this corresponds to the resource path to which the file has to be uploaded.
+
+		// Set the length to 0 and set SizeIsDeferred to true
+		metadata := map[string]string{"sizedeferred": "true"}
+		uploadIDs, err := fs.InitiateUpload(ctx, ref, 0, metadata)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		upload, err = fs.GetUpload(ctx, uploadIDs["simple"])
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "Decomposedfs: error retrieving upload")
+		}
 	}
 
 	uploadInfo := upload.(*fileUpload)
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
index 1ad307b18f..e2c163c70b 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ var _ = Describe("File uploads", func() {
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(resp.Status.Code).To(Equal(v1beta11.Code_CODE_OK))
 		spaceID = resp.StorageSpace.Id.OpaqueId
-		ref.ResourceId = &provider.ResourceId{StorageId: spaceID}
+		ref.ResourceId = &provider.ResourceId{StorageId: spaceID, OpaqueId: spaceID}
 	})
 
 	Context("the user's quota is exceeded", func() {
@@ -308,5 +308,36 @@ var _ = Describe("File uploads", func() {
 			})
 		})
 
+		When("the user directly uploads a file with a relative reference", func() {
+			It("succeeds", func() {
+				var (
+					fileContent = []byte("0123456789")
+				)
+
+				uploadRef := &provider.Reference{ResourceId: ref.ResourceId, Path: "./newfile.txt"}
+
+				bs.On("Upload", mock.AnythingOfType("string"), mock.AnythingOfType("*os.File")).
+					Return(nil).
+					Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
+						reader := args.Get(1).(io.Reader)
+						data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+
+						Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+						Expect(data).To(Equal(fileContent))
+					})
+
+				err := fs.Upload(ctx, uploadRef, ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(fileContent)))
+
+				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+				bs.AssertCalled(GinkgoT(), "Upload", mock.Anything, mock.Anything)
+
+				relativeListRef := &provider.Reference{ResourceId: ref.ResourceId, Path: "."}
+				resources, err := fs.ListFolder(ctx, relativeListRef, []string{})
+				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+				Expect(len(resources)).To(Equal(2)) // .space folder + newfile.txt
+				Expect(resources[0].Path).To(Or(Equal("newfile.txt"), Equal(".space")))
+				Expect(resources[1].Path).To(Or(Equal("newfile.txt"), Equal(".space")))
+			})
+		})
 	})
 })