diff --git a/app/modules/api/api.ts b/app/modules/api/api.ts
index 02d3a799..32af634b 100644
--- a/app/modules/api/api.ts
+++ b/app/modules/api/api.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import http from 'node:http';
 import IGeesomeApiModule from "./interface.js";
 import {CorePermissionName} from "../database/interface.js";
 import {IGeesomeApp} from "../../interface.js";
-import {sendForbiddenOnAuthRouteError} from "./routeErrorHelpers.js";
+import {sendBadGatewayOnStorageRouteError, sendForbiddenOnAuthRouteError} from "./routeErrorHelpers.js";
 const {isNumber} = _;
 const log = debug('geesome:api:routes');
 
@@ -552,10 +552,10 @@ export default (app: IGeesomeApp, module: IGeesomeApiModule) => {
 			res.writeHead(upstreamRes.statusCode || 500, upstreamRes.headers);
 			upstreamRes.pipe(res.stream);
 		});
-		upstream.on('error', (error) => {
-			console.error(error);
-			res.send(null, 502);
-		});
+		upstream.on('error', sendBadGatewayOnStorageRouteError(log, res, () => ({
+			route: 'api/v0/refs',
+			proxyPath: req.route
+		})));
 	});
 
 	/**
diff --git a/app/modules/api/routeErrorHelpers.ts b/app/modules/api/routeErrorHelpers.ts
index 06c9851b..daa845a5 100644
--- a/app/modules/api/routeErrorHelpers.ts
+++ b/app/modules/api/routeErrorHelpers.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,19 @@ export function sendForbiddenOnAuthRouteError(log: DebugLog, res: IApiModuleComm
 	};
 }
 
+export function sendBadGatewayOnStorageRouteError(log: DebugLog, res: IApiModuleCommonOutput, getContext: () => any = () => ({})) {
+	return (error) => {
+		helpers.logDebug(log, () => [
+			'storage route request failed',
+			{
+				...getContext(),
+				error: getErrorMessage(error)
+			}
+		]);
+		res.send(null, 502);
+	};
+}
+
 function getErrorMessage(error) {
 	if (error && error.message) {
 		return error.message;
diff --git a/test/storageRouteErrors.test.ts b/test/storageRouteErrors.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1072f3c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/storageRouteErrors.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import assert from "assert";
+import http from "node:http";
+import {EventEmitter} from "node:events";
+import coreApi from "../app/modules/api/api.js";
+import {IGeesomeApp} from "../app/interface.js";
+
+describe("storage route errors", function () {
+	it("keeps failed IPFS refs proxy requests out of stderr", async () => {
+		const routes: any = {};
+		let storageHeadersSet = false;
+		const consoleErrors = await captureConsoleErrors(async () => {
+			await withHttpGetFailure(async () => {
+				coreApi({} as IGeesomeApp, {
+					...getApiRouteStub(routes),
+					handleAuthResult: async () => null,
+					setStorageHeaders: () => {
+						storageHeadersSet = true;
+					}
+				} as any);
+
+				const response = getResponseStub();
+				routes["GET /api/v0/refs*"]({
+					route: "/api/v0/refs?arg=bafk"
+				} as any, response);
+				await flushAsyncHandlers();
+
+				assert.equal(storageHeadersSet, true);
+				assert.deepEqual(response.sent, [[null, 502]]);
+			});
+		});
+
+		assert.deepEqual(consoleErrors, []);
+	});
+});
+
+function getApiRouteStub(routes) {
+	return {
+		onGet: (route, handler) => {
+			routes[`GET ${route}`] = handler;
+		},
+		onPost: (route, handler) => {
+			routes[`POST ${route}`] = handler;
+		},
+		onAuthorizedGet: (route, handler) => {
+			routes[`AUTHORIZED_GET ${route}`] = handler;
+		},
+		onAuthorizedPost: (route, handler) => {
+			routes[`AUTHORIZED_POST ${route}`] = handler;
+		}
+	};
+}
+
+function getResponseStub() {
+	return {
+		sent: [] as any[],
+		send(...args) {
+			this.sent.push(args);
+		}
+	};
+}
+
+async function withHttpGetFailure(callback) {
+	const originalGet = http.get;
+	(http as any).get = () => {
+		const upstream = new EventEmitter();
+		setImmediate(() => {
+			upstream.emit("error", new Error("proxy connection failed"));
+		});
+		return upstream;
+	};
+	try {
+		await callback();
+	} finally {
+		(http as any).get = originalGet;
+	}
+}
+
+async function captureConsoleErrors(callback) {
+	const originalConsoleError = console.error;
+	const consoleErrors: any[] = [];
+	console.error = ((...args) => {
+		consoleErrors.push(args);
+	}) as any;
+	try {
+		await callback();
+		return consoleErrors;
+	} finally {
+		console.error = originalConsoleError;
+	}
+}
+
+async function flushAsyncHandlers() {
+	await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+}