diff --git a/kbcstorage/tables_metadata.py b/kbcstorage/tables_metadata.py
index 295e6d3..ba24018 100644
--- a/kbcstorage/tables_metadata.py
+++ b/kbcstorage/tables_metadata.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def delete(self, table_id, metadata_id):
 
         self._delete(url)
 
-    def create(self, table_id, provider, metadata, columns_metadata):
+    def create(self, table_id, provider, metadata, columns_metadata=None):
         """
         Post metadata to a table.
 
@@ -86,13 +86,15 @@ def create(self, table_id, provider, metadata, columns_metadata):
             ValueError: If the metadata is not a list.
             ValueError: If the columns_metadata is not a list
         """
+        if columns_metadata is None:
+            columns_metadata = []
         if not isinstance(table_id, str) or table_id == '':
             raise ValueError("Invalid table_id '{}'.".format(table_id))
         if not isinstance(provider, str) or provider == '':
             raise ValueError("Invalid provider '{}'.".format(provider))
         if not isinstance(metadata, list):
             raise ValueError("Invalid metadata '{}'.".format(metadata))
-        if not isinstance(columns_metadata, list):
+        if columns_metadata is not None and not isinstance(columns_metadata, list):
             raise ValueError("Invalid columns_metadata '{}'.".format(columns_metadata))
 
         url = '{}/{}/metadata'.format(self.base_url, table_id)
@@ -101,7 +103,8 @@ def create(self, table_id, provider, metadata, columns_metadata):
         }
         data = {
             "provider": provider,
-            "metadata": metadata,
-            "columnsMetadata": columns_metadata
+            "metadata": metadata
         }
+        if columns_metadata:
+            data["columnsMetadata"] = columns_metadata
         return self._post(url, data=json.dumps(data), headers=headers)
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_tables.py b/tests/functional/test_tables.py
index bc3ff43..1b2814c 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_tables.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_tables.py
@@ -358,6 +358,18 @@ def test_table_with_metadata(self):
             ]
         )
 
+        with self.subTest("Test empty columns metadata"):
+            # test that empty [] is not actually put in the request
+            self.tables.metadata.create(
+                table_id=table_id,
+                provider='test',
+                metadata=[{
+                    'key': 'test_table_with_metadata',
+                    'value': 'success'
+                }],
+                columns_metadata=[]
+            )
+
         table_info = self.tables.detail(table_id)
         with self.subTest("Test metadata key in response"):
             self.assertIn('metadata', table_info)