diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index 3931ea5bf..b91cebbac 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@
                 {% trans "Add cover" as button_text %}
                 {% include 'snippets/toggle/toggle_button.html' with text=button_text controls_text="add-cover" controls_uid=book.id focus="modal-title-add-cover" class="is-small" %}
                 {% include 'book/cover_modal.html' with book=book controls_text="add-cover" controls_uid=book.id %}
+                {% if request.GET.cover_error %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{% trans "Failed to load cover" %}</p>
+                {% endif %}
             </div>
             {% endif %}
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books.py b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
index 632cb2ad9..58886cade 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
@@ -289,18 +289,19 @@ def upload_cover(request, book_id):
     url = request.POST.get("cover-url")
     if url:
         image = set_cover_from_url(url)
-        book.cover.save(*image)
+        if image:
+            book.cover.save(*image)
 
-        return redirect("/book/%d" % book.id)
+        return redirect("{:s}?cover_error=True".format(book.local_path))
 
     form = forms.CoverForm(request.POST, request.FILES, instance=book)
     if not form.is_valid() or not form.files.get("cover"):
-        return redirect("/book/%d" % book.id)
+        return redirect(book.local_path)
 
     book.cover = form.files["cover"]
     book.save()
 
-    return redirect("/book/%s" % book.id)
+    return redirect(book.local_path)
 
 
 def set_cover_from_url(url):