diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/uploader_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/uploader_view.js
index b09d8dd21..f58807d2e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/uploader_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/uploader_view.js
@@ -60,13 +60,19 @@ app.views.PublisherUploader = Backbone.View.extend({
   },
 
   uploadCompleteHandler: function(id, fileName, response) {
-    this.el_info.text(Diaspora.I18n.t('photo_uploader.completed', {file: fileName})).fadeTo(2000, 0);
+    if (response.success){
+      this.el_info.text(Diaspora.I18n.t('photo_uploader.completed', {file: fileName})).fadeTo(2000, 0);
 
-    var id  = response.data.photo.id,
-        url = response.data.photo.unprocessed_image.url;
+      var id  = response.data.photo.id,
+          url = response.data.photo.unprocessed_image.url;
 
-    this._addFinishedPhoto(id, url);
-    this.trigger('change');
+      this._addFinishedPhoto(id, url);
+      this.trigger('change');
+    } else {
+      this._cancelPhotoUpload();
+      this.trigger('change');
+      alert(Diaspora.I18n.t('photo_uploader.error', {file: fileName}));
+    }
   },
 
   // replace the first photo placeholder with the finished uploaded image and
@@ -79,7 +85,7 @@ app.views.PublisherUploader = Backbone.View.extend({
       '<input type="hidden", value="'+id+'" name="photos[]" />'
     );
 
-    // replace placeholder
+    // // replace placeholder
     var placeholder = publisher.el_photozone.find('li.loading').first();
     placeholder
       .removeClass('loading')
@@ -96,6 +102,14 @@ app.views.PublisherUploader = Backbone.View.extend({
     }
   },
 
+  _cancelPhotoUpload: function() {
+    var publisher = this.options.publisher;
+    var placeholder = publisher.el_photozone.find('li.loading').first();
+    placeholder
+      .removeClass('loading')
+      .find('img').remove();
+  },
+
   // remove an already uploaded photo
   _removePhoto: function(evt) {
     var self  = this;
diff --git a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
index c52b13398..b24371dfd 100644
--- a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ en:
     photo_uploader:
       looking_good: "OMG, you look awesome!"
       completed: "<%= file %> completed"
+      error: "A problem occurred while uploading file <%= file %>"
       invalid_ext: "{file} has invalid extension. Only {extensions} are allowed."
       size_error: "{file} is too large, maximum file size is {sizeLimit}."
       empty: "{file} is empty, please select files again without it."