diff --git a/esti/lakectl_local_test.go b/esti/lakectl_local_test.go
index 2ec84438516..e0f9a85f6ba 100644
--- a/esti/lakectl_local_test.go
+++ b/esti/lakectl_local_test.go
@@ -551,6 +551,11 @@ func TestLakectlLocal_commitProtetedBranch(t *testing.T) {
 			str := runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect list lakefs://"+repoName+"/ ", false, false, vars)
 			fmt.Println("itamar testing", str)
 			// Commit changes to branch
+			runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" commit lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/"+vars["BRANCH"]+" --allow-empty-message -m \" \"", false, false, vars)
+
+			RunCmdAndVerifyFailureContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" fs upload -s files/ro_1k lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/"+vars["BRANCH"]+"/"+"fail_file.txt", false, "cannot write to protected branch", vars)
+			RunCmdAndVerifyContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" local list", false, repoName+"/"+vars["BRANCH"], vars)
+
 			RunCmdAndVerifyFailureContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" local commit -m test "+dataDir, false, "cannot write to protected branch", vars)
 			//runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect delete lakefs://"+repoName+"/  \"*\"", false, false, vars)