diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/api.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/api.ts
index 4ab2d8d..77240a2 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -63,13 +63,15 @@ export async function api<T = unknown>(
   options: { method?: string; body?: unknown; retry?: boolean } = {},
 ): Promise<T> {
   const { accessToken } = useAuth.getState();
+  const method = options.method ?? "GET";
+  const hasBodySlot = method !== "GET" && method !== "HEAD";
   const res = await fetch(`${API_BASE}${path}`, {
-    method: options.method ?? "GET",
+    method,
     headers: {
       "content-type": "application/json",
       ...(accessToken ? { authorization: `Bearer ${accessToken}` } : {}),
     },
-    body: options.body != null ? JSON.stringify(options.body) : undefined,
+    body: hasBodySlot ? JSON.stringify(options.body ?? {}) : undefined,
   });
 
   if (res.status === 401 && options.retry !== false) {
diff --git a/apps/mobile/test/api.test.ts b/apps/mobile/test/api.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62b859d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/test/api.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const fetchMock = vi.fn();
+vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+
+vi.mock("expo-constants", () => ({
+  default: {
+    expoConfig: {
+      extra: { apiBaseUrl: "http://test.example" },
+    },
+  },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../src/lib/auth", () => ({
+  useAuth: {
+    getState: () => ({ accessToken: "test-token" }),
+  },
+}));
+
+import { api } from "../src/lib/api";
+
+describe("api() helper", () => {
+  it("GET without body sends no body", async () => {
+    fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: 200,
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true }),
+    } as Response);
+
+    await api("/v1/scans/123/start", { method: "GET" });
+
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://test.example/v1/scans/123/start",
+      expect.objectContaining({ method: "GET", body: undefined }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("POST without body sends '{}'", async () => {
+    fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: 200,
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true }),
+    } as Response);
+
+    await api("/v1/scans/123/start", { method: "POST" });
+
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://test.example/v1/scans/123/start",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: expect.objectContaining({ "content-type": "application/json" }),
+        body: "{}",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("POST with body stringifies the body", async () => {
+    fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: 200,
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true }),
+    } as Response);
+
+    await api("/v1/scans/123/start", { method: "POST", body: { foo: "bar" } });
+
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://test.example/v1/scans/123/start",
+      expect.objectContaining({ body: '{"foo":"bar"}' }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("PUT without body sends '{}'", async () => {
+    fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: 200,
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true }),
+    } as Response);
+
+    await api("/v1/items/abc", { method: "PUT" });
+
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://test.example/v1/items/abc",
+      expect.objectContaining({ method: "PUT", body: "{}" }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("HEAD without body sends no body", async () => {
+    fetchMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: 200,
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true }),
+    } as Response);
+
+    await api("/v1/health", { method: "HEAD" });
+
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://test.example/v1/health",
+      expect.objectContaining({ method: "HEAD", body: undefined }),
+    );
+  });
+});