diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/licenses_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/licenses_controller.rb
index efd358000cd567429cf3ece16a0aafb3b1e7f6a7..966dab52d7f04bed4a75e2f64a5f3e6a3901325d 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/licenses_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/licenses_controller.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def new
   end
 
   def create
-    unless params[:license]
+    unless license_params.values_at(:data, :data_file).any?(&:present?)
       flash.now[:alert] = "No license was selected."
 
       @license = License.new
@@ -63,8 +63,15 @@ def require_license
   end
 
   def license_params
-    license_params = params.require(:license).permit(:data_file, :data)
-    license_params.delete(:data) if license_params[:data_file]
+    license_params = params.require(:license).permit(:data)
+
+    # Wiggle around StrongParameters because data_file is an ::UploadedFile
+    data_file = params[:license][:data_file]
+    if license_params.permitted? && data_file.present?
+      license_params.delete(:data)
+      license_params[:data_file] = data_file
+    end
+
     license_params
   end
 end