Immich Recreates Folders in UPLOAD_LOCATION Despite Custom Location Resulting in Errors

[alexkahler]

I have searched the existing issues, both open and closed, to make sure this is not a duplicate report.

• Yes

The bug

I’ve configured custom locations (on SSD) for all derived-data folders (e.g. THUMB_LOCATION, ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION, etc.) as described in the docs:
https://docs.immich.app/guides/custom-locations/

However, Immich created the same folders under my UPLOAD_LOCATION. Initially those folders under UPLOAD_LOCATION were empty and without the .immich file, so I deleted them (following this discussion:
#10837 (reply in thread)).

There were no issues for a while after deleting them.

After some time and normal usage (including browsing with the Immich app), Immich recreated those derived-data folders under UPLOAD_LOCATION and started creating thumbs in the UPLOAD_LOCATION/thumbs - not my custom location. At that point, Immich began logging errors because it could no longer find the files in the configured custom locations on SSD.

The OS that Immich Server is running on

Docker

Version of Immich Server

v2.3.1

Version of Immich Mobile App

v2.3.0.0 build.3027

Platform with the issue

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

Device make and model

Web

Your docker-compose.yml content

...
services:
  immich-server:
    container_name: immich_server
    image: ghcr.io/immich-app/immich-server:${IMMICH_VERSION:-release}
    devices:
      - /dev/dri:/dev/dri
    volumes:
      # Do not edit the next line. If you want to change the media storage location on your system, edit the value of UPLOAD_LOCATION in the .env file
      - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
      - ${THUMB_LOCATION}:/data/thumbs
      - ${ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION}:/data/encoded-video
      - ${PROFILE_LOCATION}:/data/profile
      - ${BACKUP_LOCATION}:/data/backups
      - /share/Media/Photos:/mnt/media/photos
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
    env_file:
      - stack.env
...

Your .env content

...
UPLOAD_LOCATION=/share/Media/Photos
BACKUP_LOCATION=/volume1/Docker/immich-app/backups
PROFILE_LOCATION=/volume1/Docker/immich-app/profile
THUMB_LOCATION=/volume1/Docker/immich-app/thumbs
ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION=/volume1/Docker/immich-app/encoded-video
...

Reproduction steps

Unknown.

Relevant log output

[Nest] 25  - 12/01/2025, 5:52:03 AM   ERROR [Api:PersonController~6ff33c4h] Unable to send file: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/63/7f/637f86d3-fd73-40a1-9b73-91c502db9bc5.jpeg'

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/63/7f/637f86d3-fd73-40a1-9b73-91c502db9bc5.jpeg'

    at async access (node:internal/fs/promises:606:10)

    at async sendFile (/usr/src/app/server/dist/utils/file.js:49:9)

    at async PersonController.getPersonThumbnail (/usr/src/app/server/dist/controllers/person.controller.js:63:9)

[Nest] 25  - 12/01/2025, 5:52:03 AM   ERROR [Api:GlobalExceptionFilter~6ff33c4h] Unknown error: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/63/7f/637f86d3-fd73-40a1-9b73-91c502db9bc5.jpeg'

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/63/7f/637f86d3-fd73-40a1-9b73-91c502db9bc5.jpeg'

    at async access (node:internal/fs/promises:606:10)

    at async sendFile (/usr/src/app/server/dist/utils/file.js:49:9)

    at async PersonController.getPersonThumbnail (/usr/src/app/server/dist/controllers/person.controller.js:63:9)

[Nest] 25  - 12/01/2025, 5:52:03 AM   ERROR [Api:PersonController~576iq2a7] Unable to send file: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/54/d3/54d315f4-5d55-435d-b6b1-7015475d5540.jpeg'

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/54/d3/54d315f4-5d55-435d-b6b1-7015475d5540.jpeg'

    at async access (node:internal/fs/promises:606:10)

    at async sendFile (/usr/src/app/server/dist/utils/file.js:49:9)

    at async PersonController.getPersonThumbnail (/usr/src/app/server/dist/controllers/person.controller.js:63:9)

[Nest] 25  - 12/01/2025, 5:52:03 AM   ERROR [Api:GlobalExceptionFilter~576iq2a7] Unknown error: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access '/data/thumbs/5e242fbe-eba3-49d7-840a-fbfb0f4011ba/54/d3/54d315f4-5d55-435d-b6b1-7015475d5540.jpeg'

Additional information

No response

[alexkahler]

Hi @mmomjian - why was this converted into a discussion? This is a bug as the created folder causes exceptions when Immich goes looking for thumbs that do not exist in the correct THUMB_LOCATION,

[bo0tzz]

The container is probably starting before your mounts are properly in place.

[alexkahler]

OK. Any insights on as to it suddenly created thumbs in the wrong location?

[mmomjian]

OK. Any insights on as to it suddenly created thumbs in the wrong location?

The reason is as bo0tzz said - most likely the underlying mount was not in place when docker started.

[alexkahler]

But, the folders were empty for a long time after Docker container started (like a day or 2). Suddenly, after a while, Immich decided to recreate the folders (thumbs, profile, etc.) In the upload location and write thumbs to the incorrect location (note: Immich and container did not restart during this time). This incorrect location is now causing thumbs to be MIA and is causing errors in my log.

[nicolas-lesage]

I have the same problem. My directory structure is as follow (from my .env file):

# SSD: /volume1/docker/immich
#       |-- database            # DB_DATA_LOCATION
#       |-- library
#       |  |-- profile          # PROFILE_LOCATION
#       |  └-- thumbs           # THUMB_LOCATION
#       |-- ml
#       |  |-- cache            # ML_CACHE_LOCATION
#       |  |-- config           # ML_CONFIG_LOCATION
#       |  └-- dotcache         # ML_DOTCACHE_LOCATION
#       └-- redis
#          └-- data             # REDIS_DATA_LOCATION
#
# HDD: /volume2/REDACTED/Photos
#       └-- immich              # UPLOAD_LOCATION (this is what UPLOAD_LOCATION points to)
#          |-- backups          # BACKUP_LOCATION
#          |-- encoded-videos   # ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION
#          |-- library          # (final organized media, when using storage template)
#          └-- upload           # (this is the actual upload directory)
#
# The location where your uploaded files are stored
# Storage on HDD (volume 2)
UPLOAD_LOCATION=/volume2/REDACTED/Photos/immich # Library
BACKUP_LOCATION=/volume2/REDACTED/Photos/immich/backups # Database backups
ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION=/volume2/REDACTED/Photos/immich/encoded-videos
# Storage on SSD (volume 1)
PROFILE_LOCATION=./library/profile # Profile picture
THUMB_LOCATION=./library/thumbs # Thumbnails

And my docker-compose.yml file:

volumes:
  - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
  - ${BACKUP_LOCATION}:/data/backups
  - ${ENCODED_VIDEO_LOCATION}:/data/encoded-video
  - ${PROFILE_LOCATION}:/data/profile
  - ${THUMB_LOCATION}:/data/thumbs

Every time I restart the container, /volume2/REDACTED/Photos/immich/profile and /volume2/REDACTED/Photos/immich/thumbs directories are re-created, even if according to the configuration, they shouldn't. I keep deleting them... Maybe a check should be made at immich server startup?

[jfdahms]

I have exactly the same problem. This should be a bug not a discussion.

In .env

    UPLOAD_LOCATION="/mnt/drive-y/My Documents/immich"
    GENERATED_LOCATION="/mnt/nas/immich"`

In compose.yml

volumes:
      - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
      - ${GENERATED_LOCATION}/backups:/data/backups
      - ${GENERATED_LOCATION}/encoded-video:/data/encoded-video
      - ${GENERATED_LOCATION}/thumbs:/data/thumbs

Immich does use the thumbs from the right location (at least at first) but the backups, encoded-video and thumbs all get re-created in ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}

I also use the same trick to move the model-cache for immich_machine_learning.

    volumes:
      - ${GENERATED_LOCATION}/model-cache:/cache

In this case the model-cache directory is not recreated. The problem is specific to the immich-server container.

I can assure you that all of my mounts are online when the container starts. From a shell I deleted the directories in ${UPLOAD_LOCATION} and then start immich with docker compose up. The directories reappear.

[alexkahler]

@nicolas-lesage @jfdahms please upvote this if you also have this issue.

[mmomjian]

Empty folders will always be created when you do nested mounts. That is just how Docker works.

[jfdahms]

Oh. My bad. I didn't realize this. So I guess will let immich run for a while and if I don't get any errors I'm good.