diff --git a/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts b/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
index 436e87b4c..4520e6b91 100644
--- a/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   Controller,
   Delete,
   Headers,
+  InternalServerErrorException,
   NotFoundException,
   Param,
   Post,
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import {
 import { FileInterceptor } from '@nestjs/platform-express';
 import {
   ClientError,
+  MediaBackendError,
   NotInDBError,
   PermissionError,
 } from '../../../errors/errors';
@@ -66,6 +68,11 @@ export class MediaController {
       if (e instanceof ClientError || e instanceof NotInDBError) {
         throw new BadRequestException(e.message);
       }
+      if (e instanceof MediaBackendError) {
+        throw new InternalServerErrorException(
+          'There was an error in the media backend',
+        );
+      }
       throw e;
     }
   }
@@ -86,6 +93,11 @@ export class MediaController {
       if (e instanceof NotInDBError) {
         throw new NotFoundException(e.message);
       }
+      if (e instanceof MediaBackendError) {
+        throw new InternalServerErrorException(
+          'There was an error in the media backend',
+        );
+      }
       throw e;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/errors/errors.ts b/src/errors/errors.ts
index fca24a873..aaef8afc3 100644
--- a/src/errors/errors.ts
+++ b/src/errors/errors.ts
@@ -31,3 +31,7 @@ export class TooManyTokensError extends Error {
 export class PermissionsUpdateInconsistentError extends Error {
   name = 'PermissionsUpdateInconsistentError';
 }
+
+export class MediaBackendError extends Error {
+  name = 'MediaBackendError';
+}
diff --git a/src/media/backends/filesystem-backend.ts b/src/media/backends/filesystem-backend.ts
index 505b94ea6..918fd450b 100644
--- a/src/media/backends/filesystem-backend.ts
+++ b/src/media/backends/filesystem-backend.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { ConsoleLoggerService } from '../../logger/console-logger.service';
 import { MediaBackend } from '../media-backend.interface';
 import { BackendData } from '../media-upload.entity';
 import { MediaConfig } from '../../config/media.config';
+import { MediaBackendError } from '../../errors/errors';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class FilesystemBackend implements MediaBackend {
@@ -33,12 +34,23 @@ export class FilesystemBackend implements MediaBackend {
     const filePath = this.getFilePath(fileName);
     this.logger.debug(`Writing file to: ${filePath}`, 'saveFile');
     await this.ensureDirectory();
-    await fs.writeFile(filePath, buffer, null);
-    return ['/' + filePath, null];
+    try {
+      await fs.writeFile(filePath, buffer, null);
+      return ['/' + filePath, null];
+    } catch (e) {
+      this.logger.error(e.message, e.stack, 'saveFile');
+      throw new MediaBackendError(`Could not save '${filePath}'`);
+    }
   }
 
   async deleteFile(fileName: string, _: BackendData): Promise<void> {
-    return fs.unlink(this.getFilePath(fileName));
+    const filePath = this.getFilePath(fileName);
+    try {
+      return fs.unlink(filePath);
+    } catch (e) {
+      this.logger.error(e.message, e.stack, 'deleteFile');
+      throw new MediaBackendError(`Could not delete '${filePath}'`);
+    }
   }
 
   getFileURL(fileName: string, _: BackendData): Promise<string> {
@@ -55,7 +67,17 @@ export class FilesystemBackend implements MediaBackend {
     try {
       await fs.access(this.uploadDirectory);
     } catch (e) {
-      await fs.mkdir(this.uploadDirectory);
+      try {
+        this.logger.debug(
+          `The directory '${this.uploadDirectory}' can't be accessed. Trying to create the directory`,
+        );
+        await fs.mkdir(this.uploadDirectory);
+      } catch (e) {
+        this.logger.error(e.message, e.stack, 'deleteFile');
+        throw new MediaBackendError(
+          `Could not create '${this.uploadDirectory}'`,
+        );
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/media/media-backend.interface.ts b/src/media/media-backend.interface.ts
index 8de2c42fd..634571392 100644
--- a/src/media/media-backend.interface.ts
+++ b/src/media/media-backend.interface.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export interface MediaBackend {
    * Saves a file according to backend internals.
    * @param buffer File data
    * @param fileName Name of the file to save. Can include a file extension.
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error saving the file
    * @return Tuple of file URL and internal backend data, which should be saved.
    */
   saveFile(buffer: Buffer, fileName: string): Promise<[string, BackendData]>;
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export interface MediaBackend {
    * Retrieve the URL of a previously saved file.
    * @param fileName String to identify the file
    * @param backendData Internal backend data
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error deleting the file
    */
   getFileURL(fileName: string, backendData: BackendData): Promise<string>;
 
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ export interface MediaBackend {
    * Delete a file from the backend
    * @param fileName String to identify the file
    * @param backendData Internal backend data
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error retrieving the url
    */
   deleteFile(fileName: string, backendData: BackendData): Promise<void>;
 }
diff --git a/src/media/media.service.ts b/src/media/media.service.ts
index 2272c0a06..3869c6da6 100644
--- a/src/media/media.service.ts
+++ b/src/media/media.service.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ export class MediaService {
    * @param {string} noteId - the id or alias of the note which will be associated with the new file.
    * @return {string} the url of the saved file
    * @throws {ClientError} the MIME type of the file is not supported.
+   * @throws {NotInDBError} - the note or user is not in the database
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error saving the file
    */
   async saveFile(
     fileBuffer: Buffer,
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ export class MediaService {
    * @return {string} the url of the saved file
    * @throws {PermissionError} the user is not permitted to delete this file.
    * @throws {NotInDBError} - the file entry specified is not in the database
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error deleting the file
    */
   async deleteFile(filename: string, username: string): Promise<void> {
     this.logger.debug(
@@ -136,6 +139,7 @@ export class MediaService {
    * @param {string} filename - the name of the file entry to find
    * @return {MediaUpload} the file entry, that was searched for
    * @throws {NotInDBError} - the file entry specified is not in the database
+   * @throws {MediaBackendError} - there was an error retrieving the url
    */
   async findUploadByFilename(filename: string): Promise<MediaUpload> {
     const mediaUpload = await this.mediaUploadRepository.findOne(filename, {