diff --git a/lib/Controller/ApiBase.php b/lib/Controller/ApiBase.php
index 7bfe6e88..9fb10268 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/ApiBase.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/ApiBase.php
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ use OCP\IConfig;
 use OCP\IDBConnection;
 use OCP\IRequest;
 use OCP\IUserSession;
+use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
 
 class ApiBase extends Controller
 {
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ class ApiBase extends Controller
     protected IAppManager $appManager;
     protected TimelineQuery $timelineQuery;
     protected IDBConnection $connection;
+    protected LoggerInterface $logger;
 
     public function __construct(
         IRequest $request,
@@ -55,7 +57,8 @@ class ApiBase extends Controller
         IUserSession $userSession,
         IDBConnection $connection,
         IRootFolder $rootFolder,
-        IAppManager $appManager
+        IAppManager $appManager,
+        LoggerInterface $logger
     ) {
         parent::__construct(Application::APPNAME, $request);
 
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ class ApiBase extends Controller
         $this->connection = $connection;
         $this->rootFolder = $rootFolder;
         $this->appManager = $appManager;
+        $this->logger = $logger;
         $this->timelineQuery = new TimelineQuery($connection);
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/Controller/VideoController.php b/lib/Controller/VideoController.php
index 2d43be3d..d49af184 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/VideoController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/VideoController.php
@@ -80,8 +80,20 @@ class VideoController extends ApiBase
         }
 
         // Request and check data was received
-        if (200 !== $this->getUpstream($client, $path, $profile)) {
-            return new JSONResponse(['message' => 'Transcode failed'], Http::STATUS_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+        try {
+            $status = $this->getUpstream($client, $path, $profile);
+            if ($status === 409 || $status === -1) {
+                // Just a conflict (transcoding process changed)
+                return new JSONResponse(['message' => 'Conflict'], Http::STATUS_CONFLICT);
+            }
+            if ($status !== 200) {
+                throw new \Exception("Transcoder returned {$status}");
+            }
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            $msg = 'Transcode failed: '.$e->getMessage();
+            $this->logger->error($msg, ['app' => 'memories']);
+
+            return new JSONResponse(['message' => $msg], Http::STATUS_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
         }
 
         // The response was already streamed, so we have nothing to do here
@@ -224,12 +236,15 @@ class VideoController extends ApiBase
         // Get transcoder path
         $transcoder = $this->config->getSystemValue('memories.transcoder', false);
         if (!$transcoder) {
-            return 0;
+            throw new \Exception('Transcoder not configured');
         }
 
         // Make transcoder executable
         if (!is_executable($transcoder)) {
             @chmod($transcoder, 0755);
+            if (!is_executable($transcoder)) {
+                throw new \Exception("Transcoder not executable (chmod 755 {$transcoder})");
+            }
         }
 
         // Kill the transcoder in case it's running
@@ -271,20 +286,34 @@ class VideoController extends ApiBase
         $tmpPath .= $this->config->getSystemValue('instanceid', 'default');
 
         // (Re-)create temp dir
-        shell_exec("rm -rf '{$tmpPath}'");
-        mkdir($tmpPath, 0755, true);
+        shell_exec("rm -rf '{$tmpPath}' && mkdir -p '{$tmpPath}' && chmod 755 '{$tmpPath}'");
+
+        // Check temp directory exists
+        if (!is_dir($tmpPath)) {
+            throw new \Exception("Temp directory could not be created ({$tmpPath})");
+        }
+
+        // Check temp directory is writable
+        if (!is_writable($tmpPath)) {
+            throw new \Exception("Temp directory is not writable ({$tmpPath})");
+        }
 
         // Set temp dir
         $env[] = "GOVOD_TEMPDIR='{$tmpPath}'";
 
         // Start transcoder
         $env = implode(' ', $env);
-        shell_exec("{$env} nohup {$transcoder} > '{$tmpPath}.log' 2>&1 & > /dev/null");
+        $logFile = $tmpPath.'.log';
+        shell_exec("{$env} nohup {$transcoder} > '{$logFile}' 2>&1 & > /dev/null");
 
         // wait for 1s and try again
         sleep(1);
 
-        return $this->getUpstreamInternal($client, $path, $profile);
+        $returnCode = $this->getUpstreamInternal($client, $path, $profile);
+        if (0 === $returnCode) {
+            throw new \Exception("Transcoder could not be started, check {$logFile}");
+        }
+        return $returnCode;
     }
 
     private function getUpstreamInternal($client, $path, $profile)
diff --git a/src/components/viewer/PsVideo.ts b/src/components/viewer/PsVideo.ts
index 812407e4..baaa8603 100644
--- a/src/components/viewer/PsVideo.ts
+++ b/src/components/viewer/PsVideo.ts
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class VideoContentSetup {
     });
 
     const overrideNative = !vidjs.browser.IS_SAFARI;
-    content.videojs = vidjs(content.videoElement, {
+    const vjs = (content.videojs = vidjs(content.videoElement, {
       fill: true,
       autoplay: true,
       controls: false,
@@ -186,24 +186,22 @@ class VideoContentSetup {
         nativeAudioTracks: !overrideNative,
         nativeVideoTracks: !overrideNative,
       },
-    });
+    }));
 
-    content.videojs.on("error", () => {
-      if (content.videojs.error().code === 4) {
-        if (content.videojs.src().includes("m3u8")) {
-          // HLS could not be streamed
-          console.error("Video.js: HLS stream could not be opened.");
+    vjs.on("error", () => {
+      if (vjs.error().code === 4 && vjs.src().includes("m3u8")) {
+        // HLS could not be streamed
+        console.error("Video.js: HLS stream could not be opened.");
 
-          if (getCurrentUser()?.isAdmin) {
-            showError(t("memories", "Transcoding failed."));
-          }
-
-          content.videojs.src({
-            src: content.data.src,
-            type: "video/mp4",
-          });
-          this.updateRotation(content, 0);
+        if (getCurrentUser()?.isAdmin) {
+          showError(t("memories", "Transcoding failed, check Nextcloud logs."));
         }
+
+        vjs.src({
+          src: content.data.src,
+          type: "video/mp4",
+        });
+        this.updateRotation(content, 0);
       }
     });