diff --git a/backend/src/app/media.clj b/backend/src/app/media.clj
index a1d22c0832..0aa0cedbc2 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/media.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/media.clj
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@
    [datoteka.io :as io])
   (:import
    clojure.lang.XMLHandler
+   java.io.IOException
    java.io.InputStream
+   java.net.ConnectException
+   java.net.UnknownHostException
+   java.net.http.HttpConnectTimeoutException
+   java.net.http.HttpTimeoutException
    javax.xml.XMLConstants
    javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory
    org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils
@@ -318,9 +323,37 @@
 
               {:size size :mtype mtype :format format}))]
 
-    (let [{:keys [body] :as response} (http/req! client
-                                                 {:method :get :uri uri}
-                                                 {:response-type :input-stream})
+    (let [{:keys [body] :as response}
+          (try
+            (http/req! client
+                       {:method :get :uri uri}
+                       {:response-type :input-stream})
+            (catch ConnectException cause
+              (ex/raise :type :validation
+                        :code :unable-to-access-to-url
+                        :hint "the url is unreachable or the connection was refused"
+                        :cause cause))
+            (catch UnknownHostException cause
+              (ex/raise :type :validation
+                        :code :unable-to-access-to-url
+                        :hint "the url host cannot be resolved"
+                        :cause cause))
+            (catch HttpConnectTimeoutException cause
+              (ex/raise :type :validation
+                        :code :unable-to-access-to-url
+                        :hint "the url connection timed out"
+                        :cause cause))
+            (catch HttpTimeoutException cause
+              (ex/raise :type :validation
+                        :code :unable-to-access-to-url
+                        :hint "the url request timed out"
+                        :cause cause))
+            (catch IOException cause
+              (ex/raise :type :validation
+                        :code :unable-to-access-to-url
+                        :hint "an I/O error occurred while downloading the url"
+                        :cause cause)))
+
           {:keys [size mtype]} (parse-and-validate response)
           path    (tmp/tempfile :prefix "penpot.media.download.")
           written (io/write* path body :size size)]
diff --git a/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_media_test.clj b/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_media_test.clj
index d583565f39..488e75833a 100644
--- a/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_media_test.clj
+++ b/backend/test/backend_tests/rpc_media_test.clj
@@ -248,6 +248,28 @@
       (t/is (uuid? (:thumbnail-id result))))))
 
 
+(t/deftest media-object-from-url-command-when-url-is-unreachable
+  (let [prof   (th/create-profile* 1)
+        proj   (th/create-project* 1 {:profile-id (:id prof)
+                                      :team-id (:default-team-id prof)})
+        file   (th/create-file* 1 {:profile-id (:id prof)
+                                   :project-id (:default-project-id prof)
+                                   :is-shared false})
+        ;; Use a URL that is guaranteed to be unreachable from the backend
+        url    "http://192.0.2.1/image.png"
+        params {::th/type :create-file-media-object-from-url
+                ::rpc/profile-id (:id prof)
+                :file-id    (:id file)
+                :is-local   true
+                :url        url}
+        out    (th/command! params)]
+
+    (let [error      (:error out)
+          error-data (ex-data error)]
+      (t/is (th/ex-info? error))
+      (t/is (= :validation (:type error-data)))
+      (t/is (= :unable-to-access-to-url (:code error-data))))))
+
 (t/deftest media-object-upload-command-when-file-is-deleted
   (let [prof   (th/create-profile* 1)
         proj   (th/create-project* 1 {:profile-id (:id prof)