diff --git a/frontend/app/services/image-locator.ts b/frontend/app/services/image-locator.ts
index ab942aa2d..0ec8dbc02 100644
--- a/frontend/app/services/image-locator.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/services/image-locator.ts
@@ -14,21 +14,26 @@ export default class ImageLocatorService extends Service {
     if (!url) {
       return null;
     }
-    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
       const img = new Image();
       img.crossOrigin = 'anonymous';
       img.src = url;
       img.onload = () => {
-        const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
-        canvas.width = img.width;
-        canvas.height = img.height;
-        const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
-        ctx?.drawImage(img, 0, 0);
-        const dataURL = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
-        this.maybeUploadImage(word, canvas);
-        resolve(dataURL);
+        try {
+          const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
+          canvas.width = img.width;
+          canvas.height = img.height;
+          const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
+          ctx?.drawImage(img, 0, 0);
+          const dataURL = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
+          this.maybeUploadImage(word, canvas);
+          resolve(dataURL);
+        } catch {
+          // tainted canvas (CORS headers present but insufficient)
+          resolve(url);
+        }
       };
-      img.onerror = () => reject(null);
+      img.onerror = () => resolve(url);
     });
   }
   private maybeUploadImage(word: string, canvas: HTMLCanvasElement): void {
diff --git a/frontend/app/services/network.ts b/frontend/app/services/network.ts
index 2216ceded..9efa425d5 100644
--- a/frontend/app/services/network.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/services/network.ts
@@ -250,6 +250,9 @@ export default class NetworkService extends Service {
     }
   }
   uploadPictureFile(file: Blob, fileName: string): Promise<Response> {
+    if (!file.size) {
+      return Promise.reject(new Error('Empty file'));
+    }
     const formData = new FormData();
     formData.append('file', file, fileName);
     return waitForPromise(