diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.html b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.html
index c1cdf266aaf..e09e79ff7fd 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.html
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.html
@@ -36,18 +36,25 @@
             (click)="$event.preventDefault();editBitstreamData();">
             <i class="fa fa-edit fa-2x text-normal"></i>
           </button>
-          <button class="btn btn-link-focus"
-            attr.aria-label="{{'submission.sections.upload.delete.confirm.title' | translate}} {{fileName}}"
-                  title="{{ 'submission.sections.upload.delete.confirm.title' | translate }} {{fileName}}"
-            [dsBtnDisabled]="(processingDelete$ | async)"
-            (click)="$event.preventDefault();confirmDelete(content);">
-            @if ((processingDelete$ | async)) {
-              <i class="fas fa-circle-notch fa-spin fa-2x link-danger"></i>
-            }
-            @if ((processingDelete$ | async) !== true) {
-              <i class="fa fa-trash fa-2x link-danger"></i>
-            }
-          </button>
+          <span
+            title="{{ totalFiles === 1
+              ? ('submission.sections.upload.delete.not-allowed' | translate)
+              : ('submission.sections.upload.delete.confirm.title' | translate) + ' ' + fileName }}">
+
+            <button class="btn btn-link-focus"
+              attr.aria-label="{{'submission.sections.upload.delete.confirm.title' | translate}} {{fileName}}"
+              [dsBtnDisabled]="(processingDelete$ | async) || totalFiles === 1"
+              (click)="$event.preventDefault();confirmDelete(content);">
+
+              @if ((processingDelete$ | async)) {
+                <i class="fas fa-circle-notch fa-spin fa-2x link-danger"></i>
+              }
+              @if ((processingDelete$ | async) !== true) {
+                <i class="fa fa-trash fa-2x link-danger"></i>
+              }
+
+            </button>
+          </span>
         </ng-container>
       </div>
       <div class="clearfix"></div>
diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.ts b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.ts
index c6949bd3828..6822330e5f8 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/section-upload-file.component.ts
@@ -184,6 +184,13 @@ export class SubmissionSectionUploadFileComponent implements OnChanges, OnInit,
    */
   protected formMetadata: string[] = [];
 
+  /**
+   * Total number of files currently attached to the item.
+   * Used to prevent deletion when only one bitstream remains.
+   * @type {number}
+   */
+  @Input() totalFiles: number;
+
   /**
    * Initialize instance variables
    *
diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/themed-section-upload-file.component.ts b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/themed-section-upload-file.component.ts
index 792ed087e74..c49d104799f 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/themed-section-upload-file.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/file/themed-section-upload-file.component.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ export class ThemedSubmissionSectionUploadFileComponent
    */
   @Input() submissionId: string;
 
+  /**
+   * Total number of files currently attached to the item.
+   * Used to prevent deletion when only one bitstream remains.
+   * @type {number}
+   */
+  @Input() totalFiles: number;
+
   protected inAndOutputNames: (keyof SubmissionSectionUploadFileComponent & keyof this)[] = [
     'availableAccessConditionOptions',
     'isPrimary',
@@ -88,6 +95,7 @@ export class ThemedSubmissionSectionUploadFileComponent
     'fileName',
     'sectionId',
     'submissionId',
+    'totalFiles',
   ];
 
   protected getComponentName(): string {
diff --git a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.html b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.html
index 7bcfa1d242d..5ffa1d6838c 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.html
+++ b/src/app/submission/sections/upload/section-upload.component.html
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     <ds-submission-upload-section-file
       [isPrimary]="primaryBitstreamUUID ? primaryBitstreamUUID === fileEntry.uuid : null"
       [availableAccessConditionOptions]="availableAccessConditionOptions"
+      [totalFiles]="fileList.length"
       [collectionId]="collectionId"
       [collectionPolicyType]="collectionPolicyType"
       [configMetadataForm]="(configMetadataForm$ | async)"
diff --git a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5 b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
index 32577407f5d..91c13c9d9af 100644
--- a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
@@ -5909,6 +5909,8 @@
 
   "submission.sections.upload.upload-successful": "Upload successful",
 
+  "submission.sections.upload.delete.not-allowed": "All Items require at least one File. To delete this File, please first add another File to the Item.",
+
   "submission.sections.custom-url.label.previous-urls": "Previous Urls",
 
   "submission.sections.custom-url.alert.info": "Define here a custom URL which will be used to reach the item instead of using an internal randomly generated UUID identifier. ",