diff --git a/app/models/upload.rb b/app/models/upload.rb
index 8ffbbe99c7e..813c5e57e91 100644
--- a/app/models/upload.rb
+++ b/app/models/upload.rb
@@ -340,7 +340,13 @@ class Upload < ActiveRecord::Base
         if local?
           Discourse.store.path_for(self)
         else
-          Discourse.store.download(self)&.path
+          begin
+            Discourse.store.download(self)&.path
+          rescue OpenURI::HTTPError => e
+            # Some issue with downloading the image from a remote store.
+            # Assume the upload is broken and save an empty string to prevent re-evaluation
+            nil
+          end
         end
 
       if local_path.nil?
@@ -373,10 +379,6 @@ class Upload < ActiveRecord::Base
         raise "Calculated dominant color but unable to parse output:\n#{data}" if color.nil?
 
         color
-      rescue OpenURI::HTTPError => e
-        # Some issue with downloading the image from a remote store.
-        # Assume the upload is broken and save an empty string to prevent re-evaluation
-        ""
       rescue Discourse::Utils::CommandError => e
         # Timeout or unable to parse image
         # This can happen due to bad user input - ignore and save
diff --git a/spec/models/upload_spec.rb b/spec/models/upload_spec.rb
index fb4e6487a09..642061904e3 100644
--- a/spec/models/upload_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/upload_spec.rb
@@ -704,21 +704,21 @@ RSpec.describe Upload do
     end
 
     it "correctly handles error when file is too large to download" do
-      white_image.stubs(:local?).returns(true)
-      Discourse.store.stubs(:download).returns(nil)
+      white_image.stubs(:local?).returns(false)
+      FileStore::LocalStore.any_instance.stubs(:download).returns(nil).once
 
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color).to eq(nil)
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color(calculate_if_missing: true)).to eq("")
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color).to eq("")
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color).to eq(nil)
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color(calculate_if_missing: true)).to eq("")
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color).to eq("")
     end
 
     it "correctly handles error when file has HTTP error" do
-      white_image.stubs(:local?).returns(true)
-      Discourse.store.stubs(:download).raises(OpenURI::HTTPError)
+      white_image.stubs(:local?).returns(false)
+      FileStore::LocalStore.any_instance.stubs(:download).raises(OpenURI::HTTPError.new("Error", nil)).once
 
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color).to eq(nil)
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color(calculate_if_missing: true)).to eq("")
-      expect(invalid_image.dominant_color).to eq("")
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color).to eq(nil)
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color(calculate_if_missing: true)).to eq("")
+      expect(white_image.dominant_color).to eq("")
     end
 
     it "is validated for length" do