diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/error.json b/public/language/en-GB/error.json
index a4ae4d1e38..eb7dfd4b33 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/error.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/error.json
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
 	"guest-upload-disabled": "Guest uploading has been disabled",
 	"cors-error": "Unable to upload image due to misconfigured CORS",
 	"upload-ratelimit-reached": "You have uploaded too many files at one time. Please try again later.",
+	"upload-error-fallback": "Unable to upload image — %1",
 
   	"scheduling-to-past": "Please select a date in the future.",
   	"invalid-schedule-date": "Please enter a valid date and time.",
diff --git a/public/src/modules/uploader.js b/public/src/modules/uploader.js
index 8aa010871a..a9e91e7631 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/uploader.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/uploader.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ define('uploader', ['jquery-form'], function () {
 			},
 			error: function (xhr) {
 				xhr = maybeParse(xhr);
-				showAlert(uploadModal, 'error', xhr.responseJSON ? (xhr.responseJSON.error || xhr.statusText) : 'error uploading, code : ' + xhr.status);
+				showAlert(uploadModal, 'error', xhr.responseJSON?.status?.message || `[[error:upload-error-fallback, ${xhr.status} ${xhr.statusText}]]`);
 			},
 			uploadProgress: function (event, position, total, percent) {
 				uploadModal.find('#upload-progress-bar').css('width', percent + '%');