diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 102ca2ea..260fd513 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -311,13 +311,19 @@ void MainWindow::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event)
                 }
             }
         }
-        else if (customBackgroundColor.isValid())
-        {
-            painter.fillRect(viewportRect, customBackgroundColor);
-        }
         else
         {
-            painter.eraseRect(viewportRect);
+            const QColor &backgroundColor = customBackgroundColor.isValid() ? customBackgroundColor : painter.background().color();
+            painter.fillRect(viewportRect, backgroundColor);
+
+            if (getCurrentFileDetails().errorData.has_value())
+            {
+                const QVImageCore::ErrorData &errorData = getCurrentFileDetails().errorData.value();
+                const QString errorMessage = tr("Error occurred opening\n%3\n%2 (Error %1)").arg(QString::number(errorData.errorNum), errorData.errorString, getCurrentFileDetails().fileInfo.fileName());
+                painter.setFont(font());
+                painter.setPen(Qv::getPerceivedBrightness(backgroundColor) > 0.5 ? QColorConstants::Black : QColorConstants::White);
+                painter.drawText(viewportRect, errorMessage, QTextOption(Qt::AlignCenter));
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -399,6 +405,9 @@ void MainWindow::fileChanged(const bool isRestoringState)
     updateWindowFilePath();
     if (!isRestoringState)
         setWindowSize();
+
+    // full repaint to handle error message
+    update();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::zoomLevelChanged()
@@ -523,13 +532,15 @@ void MainWindow::buildWindowTitle()
     QString newString = "qView";
     if (getCurrentFileDetails().fileInfo.isFile())
     {
-        auto getFileName = [this]() { return getCurrentFileDetails().fileInfo.fileName(); };
-        auto getZoomLevel = [this]() { return QString::number(graphicsView->getZoomLevel() * 100.0, 'f', 1) + "%"; };
-        auto getImageIndex = [this]() { return QString::number(getCurrentFileDetails().loadedIndexInFolder+1); };
-        auto getImageCount = [this]() { return QString::number(getCurrentFileDetails().folderFileInfoList.count()); };
-        auto getImageWidth = [this]() { return QString::number(getCurrentFileDetails().baseImageSize.width()); };
-        auto getImageHeight = [this]() { return QString::number(getCurrentFileDetails().baseImageSize.height()); };
-        auto getFileSize = [this]() { return QVInfoDialog::formatBytes(getCurrentFileDetails().fileInfo.size()); };
+        const QVImageCore::FileDetails &fileDetails = getCurrentFileDetails();
+        const bool hasError = fileDetails.errorData.has_value();
+        auto getFileName = [&]() { return fileDetails.fileInfo.fileName(); };
+        auto getZoomLevel = [&]() { return QString::number((hasError ? 1.0 : graphicsView->getZoomLevel()) * 100.0, 'f', 1) + "%"; };
+        auto getImageIndex = [&]() { return QString::number(fileDetails.loadedIndexInFolder+1); };
+        auto getImageCount = [&]() { return QString::number(fileDetails.folderFileInfoList.count()); };
+        auto getImageWidth = [&]() { return QString::number(hasError ? 0 : fileDetails.baseImageSize.width()); };
+        auto getImageHeight = [&]() { return QString::number(hasError ? 0 : fileDetails.baseImageSize.height()); };
+        auto getFileSize = [&]() { return QVInfoDialog::formatBytes(hasError ? 0 : fileDetails.fileInfo.size()); };
         switch (qvApp->getSettingsManager().getEnum<Qv::TitleBarText>("titlebarmode")) {
         case Qv::TitleBarText::Minimal:
         {
diff --git a/src/qvgraphicsview.cpp b/src/qvgraphicsview.cpp
index 23e668ec..e0611eca 100644
--- a/src/qvgraphicsview.cpp
+++ b/src/qvgraphicsview.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ QVGraphicsView::QVGraphicsView(QWidget *parent) : QGraphicsView(parent)
 
     connect(&imageCore, &QVImageCore::animatedFrameChanged, this, &QVGraphicsView::animatedFrameChanged);
     connect(&imageCore, &QVImageCore::fileChanged, this, &QVGraphicsView::postLoad);
-    connect(&imageCore, &QVImageCore::readError, this, &QVGraphicsView::error);
 
     expensiveScaleTimer = new QTimer(this);
     expensiveScaleTimer->setSingleShot(true);
@@ -928,16 +927,6 @@ MainWindow* QVGraphicsView::getMainWindow() const
     return qobject_cast<MainWindow*>(window());
 }
 
-void QVGraphicsView::error(int errorNum, const QString &errorString, const QString &fileName)
-{
-    if (!errorString.isEmpty())
-    {
-        closeImage();
-        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("Error"), tr("Error occurred opening \"%3\":\n%2 (Error %1)").arg(QString::number(errorNum), errorString, fileName));
-        return;
-    }
-}
-
 void QVGraphicsView::settingsUpdated()
 {
     auto &settingsManager = qvApp->getSettingsManager();
diff --git a/src/qvgraphicsview.h b/src/qvgraphicsview.h
index 6757c93d..af01d9a5 100644
--- a/src/qvgraphicsview.h
+++ b/src/qvgraphicsview.h
@@ -159,8 +159,6 @@ private slots:
 
     void postLoad();
 
-    void error(int errorNum, const QString &errorString, const QString &fileName);
-
 private:
     QGraphicsPixmapItem *loadedPixmapItem;
 
diff --git a/src/qvimagecore.cpp b/src/qvimagecore.cpp
index 658f9dee..ef578ea8 100644
--- a/src/qvimagecore.cpp
+++ b/src/qvimagecore.cpp
@@ -106,14 +106,14 @@ void QVImageCore::loadFile(const QString &fileName, bool isReloading)
     else
     {
 #if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 0, 0)
-        loadFutureWatcher.setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &QVImageCore::readFile, sanitaryFileName, targetColorSpace, false));
+        loadFutureWatcher.setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &QVImageCore::readFile, sanitaryFileName, targetColorSpace));
 #else
-        loadFutureWatcher.setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(&QVImageCore::readFile, this, sanitaryFileName, targetColorSpace, false));
+        loadFutureWatcher.setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(&QVImageCore::readFile, this, sanitaryFileName, targetColorSpace));
 #endif
     }
 }
 
-QVImageCore::ReadData QVImageCore::readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColorSpace &targetColorSpace, bool forCache)
+QVImageCore::ReadData QVImageCore::readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColorSpace &targetColorSpace)
 {
     QImageReader imageReader;
     imageReader.setDecideFormatFromContent(true);
@@ -155,12 +155,16 @@ QVImageCore::ReadData QVImageCore::readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColo
         fileInfo.absoluteFilePath(),
         fileInfo.size(),
         imageReader.size(),
-        targetColorSpace
+        targetColorSpace,
+        {}
     };
-    // Only error out when not loading for cache
-    if (readPixmap.isNull() && !forCache)
+
+    if (readPixmap.isNull())
     {
-        emit readError(imageReader.error(), imageReader.errorString(), fileInfo.fileName());
+        readData.errorData = {
+            imageReader.error(),
+            imageReader.errorString()
+        };
     }
 
     return readData;
@@ -168,6 +172,16 @@ QVImageCore::ReadData QVImageCore::readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColo
 
 void QVImageCore::loadPixmap(const ReadData &readData)
 {
+    if (readData.errorData.has_value())
+    {
+        currentFileDetails = getEmptyFileDetails();
+        currentFileDetails.errorData = readData.errorData;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        currentFileDetails.errorData = {};
+    }
+
     // Do this first so we can keep folder info even when loading errored files
     currentFileDetails.fileInfo = QFileInfo(readData.absoluteFilePath);
     currentFileDetails.updateLoadedIndexInFolder();
@@ -177,8 +191,11 @@ void QVImageCore::loadPixmap(const ReadData &readData)
     // Reset mechanism to avoid stalling while loading
     waitingOnLoad = false;
 
-    if (readData.pixmap.isNull())
+    if (currentFileDetails.errorData.has_value())
+    {
+        loadEmptyPixmap();
         return;
+    }
 
     loadedPixmap = readData.pixmap;
 
@@ -223,11 +240,23 @@ void QVImageCore::loadPixmap(const ReadData &readData)
 }
 
 void QVImageCore::closeImage()
+{
+    currentFileDetails = getEmptyFileDetails();
+    loadEmptyPixmap();
+}
+
+void QVImageCore::loadEmptyPixmap()
 {
     loadedPixmap = QPixmap();
     loadedMovie.stop();
     loadedMovie.setFileName("");
-    currentFileDetails = {
+
+    emit fileChanged();
+}
+
+QVImageCore::FileDetails QVImageCore::getEmptyFileDetails()
+{
+    return {
         QFileInfo(),
         currentFileDetails.folderFileInfoList,
         currentFileDetails.loadedIndexInFolder,
@@ -236,10 +265,9 @@ void QVImageCore::closeImage()
         false,
         QSize(),
         QSize(),
-        QElapsedTimer()
+        QElapsedTimer(),
+        {}
     };
-
-    emit fileChanged();
 }
 
 // All file logic, sorting, etc should be moved to a different class or file
@@ -451,9 +479,9 @@ void QVImageCore::requestCachingFile(const QString &filePath, const QColorSpace
     });
 
 #if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 0, 0)
-    cacheFutureWatcher->setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &QVImageCore::readFile, filePath, targetColorSpace, true));
+    cacheFutureWatcher->setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &QVImageCore::readFile, filePath, targetColorSpace));
 #else
-    cacheFutureWatcher->setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(&QVImageCore::readFile, this, filePath, targetColorSpace, true));
+    cacheFutureWatcher->setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(&QVImageCore::readFile, this, filePath, targetColorSpace));
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qvimagecore.h b/src/qvimagecore.h
index 2a59e549..4acea5cb 100644
--- a/src/qvimagecore.h
+++ b/src/qvimagecore.h
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ class QVImageCore : public QObject
         QString mimeType;
     };
 
+    struct ErrorData
+    {
+        int errorNum;
+        QString errorString;
+    };
+
     struct FileDetails
     {
         QFileInfo fileInfo;
@@ -46,6 +52,7 @@ class QVImageCore : public QObject
         QSize baseImageSize;
         QSize loadedPixmapSize;
         QElapsedTimer timeSinceLoaded;
+        std::optional<ErrorData> errorData;
 
         void updateLoadedIndexInFolder();
     };
@@ -57,12 +64,13 @@ class QVImageCore : public QObject
         qint64 fileSize;
         QSize imageSize;
         QColorSpace targetColorSpace;
+        std::optional<ErrorData> errorData;
     };
 
     explicit QVImageCore(QObject *parent = nullptr);
 
     void loadFile(const QString &fileName, bool isReloading = false);
-    ReadData readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColorSpace &targetColorSpace, bool forCache);
+    ReadData readFile(const QString &fileName, const QColorSpace &targetColorSpace);
     void loadPixmap(const ReadData &readData);
     void closeImage();
     QList<CompatibleFile> getCompatibleFiles(const QString &dirPath);
@@ -94,7 +102,9 @@ class QVImageCore : public QObject
 
     void fileChanged();
 
-    void readError(int errorNum, const QString &errorString, const QString &fileName);
+protected:
+    void loadEmptyPixmap();
+    FileDetails getEmptyFileDetails();
 
 private:
     QPixmap loadedPixmap;
diff --git a/src/qvnamespace.h b/src/qvnamespace.h
index 2b2004ce..ee78aab3 100644
--- a/src/qvnamespace.h
+++ b/src/qvnamespace.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef QVNAMESPACE_H
 #define QVNAMESPACE_H
 
+#include <QColor>
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QString>
 
@@ -123,6 +124,11 @@ namespace Qv
             action == ViewportScrollAction::None ||
             action == ViewportScrollAction::Pan;
     }
+
+    inline qreal getPerceivedBrightness(const QColor &color)
+    {
+        return (color.red() * 0.299 + color.green() * 0.587 + color.blue() * 0.114) / 255.0;
+    }
 }
 
 #endif // QVNAMESPACE_H