diff --git a/e2e/src/api/specs/asset-upload.e2e-spec.ts b/e2e/src/api/specs/asset-upload.e2e-spec.ts
index 83264bcce8..7956172f04 100644
--- a/e2e/src/api/specs/asset-upload.e2e-spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/src/api/specs/asset-upload.e2e-spec.ts
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@ describe('/upload', () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it('should reject attempt to start upload of existing incomplete asset', async () => {
+    // TODO: find a way to test interim responses
+    it('should return 500 if existing incomplete asset', async () => {
       const content = randomBytes(1024);
 
       const firstRequest = await request(app)
@@ -252,8 +253,7 @@ describe('/upload', () => {
         .set('Upload-Length', '1024')
         .send();
 
-      expect(secondRequest.status).toBe(400);
-      expect(secondRequest.headers['location']).toEqual(firstRequest.headers['location']);
+      expect(secondRequest.status).toBe(500);
       expect(secondRequest.text).toEqual('Incomplete asset already exists');
     });
 
diff --git a/server/src/services/asset-upload.service.ts b/server/src/services/asset-upload.service.ts
index d8034235b5..70c6197f11 100644
--- a/server/src/services/asset-upload.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/asset-upload.service.ts
@@ -57,22 +57,28 @@ export class AssetUploadService extends BaseService {
         assetData.metadata,
       );
     } catch (error: any) {
-      if (isAssetChecksumConstraint(error)) {
-        const duplicate = await this.assetRepository.getUploadAssetIdByChecksum(req.auth.user.id, dto.checksum);
-        if (!duplicate) {
-          res.status(500).send('Error locating duplicate for checksum constraint');
-          return;
-        }
-
-        if (duplicate.status !== AssetStatus.Partial) {
-          return this.sendAlreadyCompletedProblem(res);
-        }
-        const location = `/api/upload/${duplicate.id}`;
-        res.status(400).setHeader('Location', location).send('Incomplete asset already exists');
+      if (!isAssetChecksumConstraint(error)) {
+        this.logger.error(`Error creating upload asset record: ${error.message}`);
+        res.status(500).send('Error creating upload asset record');
         return;
       }
-      this.logger.error(`Error creating upload asset record: ${error.message}`);
-      res.status(500).send('Error creating upload asset record');
+
+      const duplicate = await this.assetRepository.getUploadAssetIdByChecksum(req.auth.user.id, dto.checksum);
+      if (!duplicate) {
+        res.status(500).send('Error locating duplicate for checksum constraint');
+        return;
+      }
+
+      if (duplicate.status !== AssetStatus.Partial) {
+        return this.sendAlreadyCompletedProblem(res);
+      }
+
+      const location = `/api/upload/${duplicate.id}`;
+      if (version <= MAX_RUFH_INTEROP_VERSION) {
+        this.sendInterimResponse(res, location, version);
+      }
+      // this is a 5xx to indicate the client should do offset retrieval and resume
+      res.status(500).send('Incomplete asset already exists');
       return;
     }