diff --git a/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.spec.ts b/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.spec.ts
index 07ab440b1a..35bd93ab33 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Test, type TestingModule } from '@nestjs/testing';
+import { NotFoundException } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { PoliciesService } from './policies.service';
 import { AttachmentsService } from '../attachments/attachments.service';
 import { PolicyPdfRendererService } from '../trust-portal/policy-pdf-renderer.service';
@@ -8,10 +9,18 @@ jest.mock('@db', () => ({
     policy: {
       findMany: jest.fn(),
       findFirst: jest.fn(),
+      findUnique: jest.fn(),
+      update: jest.fn(),
+    },
+    policyVersion: {
+      findUnique: jest.fn(),
+      findFirst: jest.fn(),
+      create: jest.fn(),
       update: jest.fn(),
     },
     member: {
       findMany: jest.fn(),
+      findFirst: jest.fn(),
     },
     auditLog: {
       createMany: jest.fn(),
@@ -46,8 +55,19 @@ jest.mock('../utils/compliance-filters', () => ({
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
 const { db } = require('@db') as {
   db: {
-    policy: { findMany: jest.Mock; findFirst: jest.Mock; update: jest.Mock };
-    member: { findMany: jest.Mock };
+    policy: {
+      findMany: jest.Mock;
+      findFirst: jest.Mock;
+      findUnique: jest.Mock;
+      update: jest.Mock;
+    };
+    policyVersion: {
+      findUnique: jest.Mock;
+      findFirst: jest.Mock;
+      create: jest.Mock;
+      update: jest.Mock;
+    };
+    member: { findMany: jest.Mock; findFirst: jest.Mock };
     auditLog: { createMany: jest.Mock };
     $transaction: jest.Mock;
   };
@@ -61,12 +81,17 @@ const { filterComplianceMembers: mockedFilterComplianceMembers } = require('../u
 describe('PoliciesService', () => {
   let service: PoliciesService;
 
+  const mockAttachmentsService = {
+    copyPolicyVersionPdf: jest.fn(),
+    deletePolicyVersionPdf: jest.fn(),
+  };
+
   beforeEach(async () => {
     jest.clearAllMocks();
     const module: TestingModule = await Test.createTestingModule({
       providers: [
         PoliciesService,
-        { provide: AttachmentsService, useValue: {} },
+        { provide: AttachmentsService, useValue: mockAttachmentsService },
         { provide: PolicyPdfRendererService, useValue: {} },
       ],
     }).compile();
@@ -216,4 +241,114 @@ describe('PoliciesService', () => {
       ]);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('createVersion', () => {
+    const organizationId = 'org_123';
+    const policyId = 'pol_1';
+    const userId = 'usr_1';
+
+    const setupHappyPath = ({
+      policyContent,
+      currentVersionContent,
+      policyPdfUrl,
+      currentVersionPdfUrl,
+    }: {
+      policyContent: unknown[];
+      currentVersionContent: unknown[] | null;
+      policyPdfUrl: string | null;
+      currentVersionPdfUrl: string | null;
+    }) => {
+      db.member.findFirst.mockResolvedValue({ id: 'mem_1' });
+      db.policy.findUnique.mockResolvedValue({
+        id: policyId,
+        organizationId,
+        content: policyContent,
+        pdfUrl: policyPdfUrl,
+        currentVersion: currentVersionContent
+          ? {
+              id: 'pv_1',
+              content: currentVersionContent,
+              pdfUrl: currentVersionPdfUrl,
+            }
+          : null,
+        versions: [],
+      });
+      db.$transaction.mockImplementation(async (cb: (tx: unknown) => unknown) =>
+        cb({
+          policyVersion: {
+            findFirst: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ version: 1 }),
+            create: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ id: 'pv_2' }),
+          },
+        }),
+      );
+    };
+
+    it('creates a version when editor content is empty but a PDF exists', async () => {
+      setupHappyPath({
+        policyContent: [],
+        currentVersionContent: [],
+        policyPdfUrl: 's3://bucket/policy.pdf',
+        currentVersionPdfUrl: 's3://bucket/policy.pdf',
+      });
+      mockAttachmentsService.copyPolicyVersionPdf.mockResolvedValue(
+        's3://bucket/new.pdf',
+      );
+
+      const result = await service.createVersion(
+        policyId,
+        organizationId,
+        {},
+        userId,
+      );
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ versionId: 'pv_2', version: 2 });
+      expect(mockAttachmentsService.copyPolicyVersionPdf).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('creates a version when both editor content is empty and no PDF exists', async () => {
+      setupHappyPath({
+        policyContent: [],
+        currentVersionContent: [],
+        policyPdfUrl: null,
+        currentVersionPdfUrl: null,
+      });
+
+      const result = await service.createVersion(
+        policyId,
+        organizationId,
+        {},
+        userId,
+      );
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ versionId: 'pv_2', version: 2 });
+      expect(mockAttachmentsService.copyPolicyVersionPdf).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('creates a version with non-empty editor content', async () => {
+      setupHappyPath({
+        policyContent: [{ type: 'paragraph' }],
+        currentVersionContent: [{ type: 'paragraph' }],
+        policyPdfUrl: null,
+        currentVersionPdfUrl: null,
+      });
+
+      const result = await service.createVersion(
+        policyId,
+        organizationId,
+        {},
+        userId,
+      );
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ versionId: 'pv_2', version: 2 });
+    });
+
+    it('throws NotFound when the policy does not exist', async () => {
+      db.member.findFirst.mockResolvedValue({ id: 'mem_1' });
+      db.policy.findUnique.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+      await expect(
+        service.createVersion(policyId, organizationId, {}, userId),
+      ).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(NotFoundException);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.ts b/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.ts
index 4e9a7010d8..4fd8358246 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/policies/policies.service.ts
@@ -599,15 +599,11 @@ export class PoliciesService {
       sourceVersion = requestedVersion;
     }
 
-    const contentForVersion = sourceVersion
+    const contentForVersion = (sourceVersion
       ? (sourceVersion.content as Prisma.InputJsonValue[])
-      : (policy.content as Prisma.InputJsonValue[]);
+      : (policy.content as Prisma.InputJsonValue[])) ?? [];
     const sourcePdfUrl = sourceVersion?.pdfUrl ?? policy.pdfUrl;
 
-    if (!contentForVersion || contentForVersion.length === 0) {
-      throw new BadRequestException('No content to create version from');
-    }
-
     // S3 copy is done AFTER the transaction to prevent orphaned files on retry
     let createdVersion: { versionId: string; version: number } | null = null;