diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
index 55374cf091..0cdfe0239f 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ vbf_stp_startfetch(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
 	vtim_real now;
 	unsigned handling, skip_vbr = 0;
 	struct objcore *oc;
+	const char *met;
 
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(wrk, WORKER_MAGIC);
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(bo, BUSYOBJ_MAGIC);
@@ -396,8 +397,14 @@ vbf_stp_startfetch(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
 
 	http_PrintfHeader(bo->bereq, "X-Varnish: %ju", VXID(bo->vsl->wid));
 
-	if (bo->bereq_body == NULL && bo->req == NULL)
-		http_Unset(bo->bereq, H_Content_Length);
+	if (bo->bereq_body == NULL && bo->req == NULL) {
+		met = http_GetMethod(bo->bereq);
+		if (http_method_eq(met, GET) ||
+		    http_method_eq(met, HEAD))
+			http_Unset(bo->bereq, H_Content_Length);
+		else
+			http_ForceHeader(bo->bereq, H_Content_Length, "0");
+	}
 
 	VCL_backend_fetch_method(bo->vcl, wrk, NULL, bo, NULL);
 
diff --git a/bin/varnishtest/tests/e00036.vtc b/bin/varnishtest/tests/e00036.vtc
index 9e6e7d86f5..3cd0254e12 100644
--- a/bin/varnishtest/tests/e00036.vtc
+++ b/bin/varnishtest/tests/e00036.vtc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ server s1 {
 	expect req.method == XGET
 	expect req.url == "/foo/body1"
 	expect req.bodylen == 0
-	expect req.http.Content-Length == "<undef>"
+	expect req.http.Content-Length == "0"
 	expect req.http.Transfer-Encoding == "<undef>"
 	txresp -body {
 		Included file
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ server s1 {
 	expect req.method == XGET
 	expect req.url == "/foo/body2"
 	expect req.bodylen == 0
-	expect req.http.Content-Length == "<undef>"
+	expect req.http.Content-Length == "0"
 	expect req.http.Transfer-Encoding == "<undef>"
 	txresp -body {
 		Included file
diff --git a/bin/varnishtest/tests/r04340.vtc b/bin/varnishtest/tests/r04340.vtc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..64a842d6bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/varnishtest/tests/r04340.vtc
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+varnishtest "C-L with empty POST"
+
+server s1 {
+	rxreq
+	expect req.method == "POST"
+	txresp
+	expect req.http.content-length == 0
+
+	rxreq
+	expect req.method == "GET"
+	txresp
+	expect req.http.content-length == 0
+} -start
+
+varnish v1 -vcl+backend {
+	sub vcl_backend_error {
+		if (bereq.method == "GETCL0") {
+			return (retry);
+		}
+	}
+	sub vcl_backend_fetch {
+		# trick to get a GET with a C-L: 0
+		if (bereq.retries == 0 && bereq.method == "GET") {
+			set bereq.method = "GETCL0";
+			return (error);
+		}
+		else if (bereq.method == "GETCL0") {
+			set bereq.method = "GET";
+		}
+		return (fetch);
+	}
+} -start
+
+client c1 {
+	txreq -method POST -hdr "content-length: 0"
+	rxresp
+
+	txreq -method GET -hdr "content-length: 0"
+	rxresp
+} -run
+
+server s1 -wait