diff --git a/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.spec.ts b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4335d94f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { ExifTool } from 'exiftool-vendored';
+import { LoggingRepository } from 'src/repositories/logging.repository';
+import { MetadataRepository } from 'src/repositories/metadata.repository';
+import { automock } from 'test/utils';
+
+describe(MetadataRepository.name, () => {
+  it('should propagate sidecar write errors', async () => {
+    const error = new Error('read-only file system');
+    const logger = automock(LoggingRepository, { strict: false });
+    const sut = new MetadataRepository(logger);
+    const write = vitest.fn().mockRejectedValue(error);
+    sut['exiftool'] = { write } as unknown as ExifTool;
+
+    await expect(sut.writeTags('/read-only/asset.jpg.xmp', { Description: 'description' })).rejects.toBe(error);
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Error writing exif data (/read-only/asset.jpg.xmp): Error: read-only file system',
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
index 1d504f6c71..946a55bc33 100644
--- a/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
+++ b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ export class MetadataRepository {
       await this.exiftool.write(path, tagsToWrite);
     } catch (error) {
       this.logger.warn(`Error writing exif data (${path}): ${error}`);
+      throw error;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
index 57c029961e..6eace707c8 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.spec.ts
@@ -2019,6 +2019,25 @@ describe(MetadataService.name, () => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('should retain locked properties when writing tags fails', async () => {
+      const asset = AssetFactory.from()
+        .file({ type: AssetFileType.Sidecar })
+        .exif({ description: 'database description' })
+        .build();
+      const error = new Error('read-only file system');
+
+      mocks.assetJob.getLockedPropertiesForMetadataExtraction.mockResolvedValue(['description']);
+      mocks.assetJob.getForSidecarWriteJob.mockResolvedValue(getForSidecarWrite(asset));
+      mocks.metadata.writeTags.mockRejectedValue(error);
+
+      await expect(sut.handleSidecarWrite({ id: asset.id })).rejects.toBe(error);
+      expect(mocks.metadata.writeTags).toHaveBeenCalledWith(asset.files[0].path, {
+        Description: 'database description',
+        ImageDescription: 'database description',
+      });
+      expect(mocks.asset.unlockProperties).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('should write rating', async () => {
       const asset = AssetFactory.from().file({ type: AssetFileType.Sidecar }).exif().build();
       asset.exifInfo.rating = 4;