diff --git a/software/frontend/index.html b/software/frontend/index.html
index 43de408..4a56059 100644
--- a/software/frontend/index.html
+++ b/software/frontend/index.html
@@ -938,7 +938,7 @@
                     }
                 }
             };
-            xhr.open("POST", `/api/v1/audiofiles?type=file&location=${location}`);
+            xhr.open("POST", `/api/v1/audiofiles?type=file&location=${encodeURIComponent(location)}`);
             xhr.overrideMimeType("audio/mpeg");
             xhr.send(files[0]);
         }
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@
             const location = selectedNodes.length === 1
                 ? selectedNodes[0].getAttribute('data-path') + '/' + name.value
                 : '/' + name.value;
-            const saveRes = await fetch(`/api/v1/audiofiles?type=directory&location=${location}`,
+            const saveRes = await fetch(`/api/v1/audiofiles?type=directory&location=${encodeURIComponent(location)}`,
                   {method: 'POST'});
             // Reload file list from device
             onShow('refresh');
@@ -973,7 +973,7 @@
             items.sort();
             items.reverse();
             for (const item of items) {
-                const saveRes = await fetch(`/api/v1/audiofiles?location=${item}`,
+                const saveRes = await fetch(`/api/v1/audiofiles?location=${encodeURIComponent(item)}`,
                   {method: 'DELETE'});
                 if (!saveRes.ok) {
                     alert(`Failed to delete item ${item}: ${await saveRes.text()}`);
diff --git a/software/src/webserver.py b/software/src/webserver.py
index 9118f8f..a495961 100644
--- a/software/src/webserver.py
+++ b/software/src/webserver.py
@@ -235,16 +235,19 @@ async def audiofile_upload(request):
     if type_ == 'directory':
         if length != 0:
             return 'directory request may not have content', 400
-        os.mkdir(path)
-        return '', 204
-    with open(path, 'wb') as newfile:
         try:
+            os.mkdir(path)
+        except OSError as ex:
+            return f'error creating directory: {ex}', 500
+        return '', 204
+    try:
+        with open(path, 'wb') as newfile:
             if length > Request.max_body_length:
                 bytes_copied = await stream_to_file(request.stream, newfile, length)
             else:
                 bytes_copied = newfile.write(request.body)
-        except OSError as ex:
-            return f'error writing data to file: {ex}', 500
+    except OSError as ex:
+        return f'error writing data to file: {ex}', 500
     if bytes_copied == length:
         return '', 204
     else: