diff --git a/control/tests/test_val.py b/control/tests/test_val.py
index 5cbc80c..84c1959 100644
--- a/control/tests/test_val.py
+++ b/control/tests/test_val.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 from django.test import TestCase
+from ddt import data, ddt, unpack
 
 from mock import PropertyMock, patch
 
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
 from control.veda_val import VALAPICall
 from VEDA import utils
 from control.veda_file_ingest import VideoProto
+from VEDA_OS01.utils import ValTranscriptStatus
 
 
 requests.packages.urllib3.disable_warnings()
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@
 CONFIG_DATA = utils.get_config('test_config.yaml')
 
 
+@ddt
 class TestVALAPI(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
@@ -73,3 +76,43 @@ def test_val_connection(self):
 
         self.assertFalse(response.status_code == 404)
         self.assertFalse(response.status_code > 299)
+
+    @data(
+        {
+            'encode_list': [],
+            'val_status': 'file_complete',
+            'expected_response': False
+        },
+        {
+            'encode_list': [],
+            'val_status': ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPT_READY,
+            'expected_response': False
+        },
+        {
+            'encode_list': [],
+            'val_status': ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPTION_IN_PROGRESS,
+            'expected_response': False
+        },
+        {
+            'encode_list': ['abc.mp4'],
+            'val_status': 'file_complete',
+            'expected_response': True
+        },
+        {
+            'encode_list': ['abc.mp4'],
+            'val_status': ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPT_READY,
+            'expected_response': True
+        },
+        {
+            'encode_list': ['abc.mp4'],
+            'val_status': ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPTION_IN_PROGRESS,
+            'expected_response': True
+        },
+    )
+    @unpack
+    def test_val_should_update_status(self, encode_list, val_status, expected_response):
+        """
+        Verify that `should_update_status` works as expected.
+        """
+        response = self.VAC.should_update_status(encode_list, val_status)
+        self.assertEqual(response, expected_response)
diff --git a/control/veda_val.py b/control/veda_val.py
index 4cb5114..fd44833 100644
--- a/control/veda_val.py
+++ b/control/veda_val.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 from control_env import *
 from control.veda_utils import Output, VideoProto
 
+from VEDA_OS01.utils import ValTranscriptStatus
+
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 requests.packages.urllib3.disable_warnings()
 
@@ -29,6 +31,12 @@
 
 '''
 
+FILE_COMPLETE_STATUSES = (
+    'file_complete',
+    ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPT_READY,
+    ValTranscriptStatus.TRANSCRIPTION_IN_PROGRESS,
+)
+
 
 class VALAPICall(object):
 
@@ -290,6 +298,20 @@ def profile_determiner(self, val_api_return):
 
         return
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def should_update_status(encode_list, val_status):
+        """
+        Check if we need to update video status in val
+
+        Arguments:
+            encode_list (list): list of video encodes
+            val_status (unicode): val status
+        """
+        if len(encode_list) == 0 and val_status in FILE_COMPLETE_STATUSES:
+            return False
+
+        return True
+
     def send_404(self):
         """
         Generate new VAL ID
@@ -298,7 +320,7 @@ def send_404(self):
 
         self.val_data['status'] = self.val_status
 
-        if len(self.encode_data) == 0 and self.val_status is 'file_complete':
+        if self.should_update_status(self.encode_data, self.val_status) is False:
             return None
 
         sending_data = dict(
@@ -341,7 +363,7 @@ def send_200(self, val_api_return):
         """
         Make Request, finally
         """
-        if len(self.encode_data) == 0 and self.val_status is 'file_complete':
+        if self.should_update_status(self.encode_data, self.val_status) is False:
             return None
 
         r4 = requests.put(