diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/cfapiwrapper.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/cfapiwrapper.cpp
index 8046cb18a4..525ba7c9c3 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/cfapiwrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/cfapiwrapper.cpp
@@ -586,13 +586,18 @@ OCC::CfApiWrapper::FileHandle OCC::CfApiWrapper::handleForPath(const QString &pa
         return {};
     }
 
-    if (QFileInfo(path).isDir()) {
+    QFileInfo pathFileInfo(path);
+    if (!pathFileInfo.exists()) {
+        return {};
+    }
+
+    if (pathFileInfo.isDir()) {
         HANDLE handle = nullptr;
         const qint64 openResult = CfOpenFileWithOplock(path.toStdWString().data(), CF_OPEN_FILE_FLAG_NONE, &handle);
         if (openResult == S_OK) {
             return {handle, [](HANDLE h) { CfCloseHandle(h); }};
         }
-    } else {
+    } else if (pathFileInfo.isFile()) {
         const auto longpath = OCC::FileSystem::longWinPath(path);
         const auto handle = CreateFile(longpath.toStdWString().data(), 0, 0, nullptr,
                                        OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, nullptr);
@@ -618,7 +623,6 @@ OCC::CfApiWrapper::PlaceHolderInfo OCC::CfApiWrapper::findPlaceholderInfo(const
     if (result == S_OK) {
         return info;
     } else {
-        qCWarning(lcCfApiWrapper()) << "Couldn't get placeholder info" << QString::fromWCharArray(_com_error(result).ErrorMessage());
         return {};
     }
 }
@@ -709,7 +713,7 @@ OCC::Result<OCC::Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> OCC::CfApiWrapper::up
                                               nullptr, 0, CF_UPDATE_FLAG_MARK_IN_SYNC, nullptr, nullptr);
 
     if (result != S_OK) {
-        qCWarning(lcCfApiWrapper) << "Couldn't update placeholder info for" << pathForHandle(handle) << ":" << QString::fromWCharArray(_com_error(result).ErrorMessage());
+        qCWarning(lcCfApiWrapper) << "Couldn't update placeholder info for" << pathForHandle(handle) << ":" << QString::fromWCharArray(_com_error(result).ErrorMessage()) << replacesPath;
         return { "Couldn't update placeholder info" };
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
index 76e3c446d5..1adeb5d686 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> VfsCfApi::convertToPlaceholder(
     const auto replacesPath = QDir::toNativeSeparators(replacesFile);
 
     const auto handle = cfapi::handleForPath(localPath);
+    if (!handle) {
+        return { "Invalid handle for path " + localPath };
+    }
     if (cfapi::findPlaceholderInfo(handle)) {
         return cfapi::updatePlaceholderInfo(handle, item._modtime, item._size, item._fileId, replacesPath);
     } else {