diff --git a/src/ext/js/fileupload.js b/src/ext/js/fileupload.js
index 1c069f2a8fdded69a2b7cc93f27601226e1d149c..395da76adf977e5b534d6923e107f4261494a4c2 100644
--- a/src/ext/js/fileupload.js
+++ b/src/ext/js/fileupload.js
@@ -114,8 +114,21 @@ var fileupload = new function() {
         return modal[0];
     }
 
-    this.create_error_handler = function() {
-        return globalError;
+    this.create_error_handler = function(property) {
+        var input = $(property).find(".caosdb-f-property-value input");
+        return function(event, error, xhr) {
+            if (xhr.status == "401") {
+                // add error message
+                input.after(`<div class="alert alert-danger alert-dismissible"
+    role="alert">
+    <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="alert"
+        aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span></button>
+    <strong>Error!</strong> You are not logged in!.</div>`);
+            } else {
+                globalError(event, error, xhr);
+            }
+
+        }
     }
 
     /** Create a success handler function for the server's response which
@@ -282,7 +295,7 @@ var fileupload = new function() {
         var default_path = this.get_default_path();
         var button = this.create_small_icon_button();
         var success_handler = this.create_success_handler(target);
-        var error_handler = this.create_error_handler();
+        var error_handler = this.create_error_handler(target);
         var edit_menu = $(target).find(".caosdb-f-property-value")[0];
 
         var dropzone_config = {