diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/actions/uploads_actions.js b/app/assets/javascripts/actions/uploads_actions.js
index a15da975c5..c0cf2c306a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/actions/uploads_actions.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/actions/uploads_actions.js
@@ -10,25 +10,34 @@ const fetchUploads = (courseId) => {
       if (res.ok && res.status === 200) {
         return res.json();
       }
-        return Promise.reject(res);
+      return Promise.reject(new Error(`Failed to fetch uploads. Status: ${res.status}`));
     })
     .catch((error) => {
       logErrorMessage(error);
+      return { error: 'Failed to fetch uploads', status: error.status || 500 };
     });
 };
 
 export const receiveUploads = courseId => (dispatch) => {
-  return (
-    fetchUploads(courseId)
-      .then(resp => dispatch({
+  return fetchUploads(courseId)
+    .then((resp) => {
+      if (!resp) {
+        return dispatch({
+          type: API_FAIL,
+          data: { error: 'No response received' },
+        });
+      }
+      return dispatch({
         type: RECEIVE_UPLOADS,
         data: resp,
-      }))
-      .catch(resp => dispatch({
+      });
+    })
+    .catch((resp) => {
+      dispatch({
         type: API_FAIL,
-        data: resp
-      }))
-  );
+        data: resp,
+      });
+    });
 };
 
 const fetchUploadMetadata = (uploads) => {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/reducers/uploads.js b/app/assets/javascripts/reducers/uploads.js
index 69e90ed293..f5c256969e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/reducers/uploads.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/reducers/uploads.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const SORT_DESCENDING = {
 export default function uploads(state = initialState, action) {
   switch (action.type) {
     case RECEIVE_UPLOADS: {
-      const dataUploads = action.data.course.uploads;
+      const dataUploads = action.data?.course?.uploads || [];
       // Intial sorting by upload date
       const sortedModel = sortByKey(dataUploads, 'uploaded_at', state.sortKey, SORT_DESCENDING.uploaded_at);
 
diff --git a/app/helpers/uploads_helper.rb b/app/helpers/uploads_helper.rb
index 281081c876..9e4fc8c8e4 100644
--- a/app/helpers/uploads_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/uploads_helper.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #= Helpers for course views
 module UploadsHelper
   def pretty_filename(upload)
-    pretty = upload.file_name
+    pretty = CGI.unescape(upload.file_name)
     pretty['File:'] = ''
     pretty
   end
diff --git a/spec/helpers/uploads_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/uploads_helper_spec.rb
index 91ae000087..d03f4c2c99 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/uploads_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/uploads_helper_spec.rb
@@ -10,5 +10,14 @@
       result = pretty_filename(upload)
       expect(result).to eq('My file.jpg')
     end
+
+    it 'formats a complex filename with encoded characters nicely for display' do
+      upload = build(:commons_upload,
+                     # rubocop:disable Layout/LineLength
+                     file_name: 'File%3AA+sunflower+%F0%9F%8C%BB%F0%9F%8C%BB+in+Kaduna+Polytechnic%2CSabo+Campus.jpg')
+      # rubocop:enable Layout/LineLength
+      result = pretty_filename(upload)
+      expect(result).to eq('A sunflower 🌻🌻 in Kaduna Polytechnic,Sabo Campus.jpg')
+    end
   end
 end