diff --git a/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts b/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
index 27e2407b0..57da35aa4 100644
--- a/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
@@ -765,6 +765,69 @@ describe('LegacyFSController.copy', () => {
             `/${username}/Pictures/renamed-copy`,
         );
     });
+
+    it('copies an empty file (no backing S3 object) without erroring', async () => {
+        // Empty files created via /touch have size 0 and no S3 object —
+        // bucket is null. Copy must clone them as empty-file entries rather
+        // than issuing a CopyObject, which would throw S3 NoSuchKey.
+        const { actor } = await makeUser();
+        const username = actor.user!.username!;
+        const src = `/${username}/Documents/empty.txt`;
+        await withActor(actor, () =>
+            controller.touch(
+                makeReq({ body: { path: src }, actor }),
+                makeRes().res,
+            ),
+        );
+
+        const { res, captured } = makeRes();
+        await withActor(actor, () =>
+            controller.copy(
+                makeReq({
+                    body: { source: src, destination: `/${username}/Pictures` },
+                    actor,
+                }),
+                res,
+            ),
+        );
+
+        const body = captured.body as Array<{ copied: { path: string } }>;
+        expect(body[0].copied.path).toBe(`/${username}/Pictures/empty.txt`);
+        const copied = await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(
+            `/${username}/Pictures/empty.txt`,
+        );
+        expect(copied).not.toBeNull();
+        expect(copied!.size).toBe(0);
+        // Original is untouched.
+        expect(await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src)).not.toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('reads an empty file as empty content without deleting it', async () => {
+        // Reading an empty file (no S3 object) must not throw NoSuchKey nor
+        // trip the ghost-file cleanup, which would delete the entry.
+        const { actor } = await makeUser();
+        const username = actor.user!.username!;
+        const src = `/${username}/Documents/readme-empty.txt`;
+        await withActor(actor, () =>
+            controller.touch(
+                makeReq({ body: { path: src }, actor }),
+                makeRes().res,
+            ),
+        );
+        const entry = (await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src))!;
+
+        const download = await server.services.fs.readContent(entry);
+        const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+        for await (const chunk of download.body) {
+            chunks.push(Buffer.from(chunk as Uint8Array));
+        }
+        expect(Buffer.concat(chunks).byteLength).toBe(0);
+        expect(download.contentLength).toBe(0);
+        // The entry must still exist — the ghost handler must NOT have run.
+        expect(
+            await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src),
+        ).not.toBeNull();
+    });
 });
 
 // ── move ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.test.ts b/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.test.ts
index 5b8d152f2..4878951d9 100644
--- a/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.test.ts
@@ -292,6 +292,22 @@ describe('loadFileInput FS path', () => {
         expect(result.fsEntry?.path).toBe(path);
     });
 
+    it('returns empty bytes for an empty file with no backing S3 object', async () => {
+        // Files created via touch have size 0 and a null bucket — no S3
+        // object exists. loadFileInput must return empty content rather than
+        // throwing NoSuchKey from getObjectStream.
+        const { actor, userId } = await makeUser();
+        const username = actor.user!.username!;
+        const path = `/${username}/Documents/empty.txt`;
+        const entry = await withActor(actor, () =>
+            server.services.fs.touch(userId, { path }),
+        );
+
+        const result = await callLoadFileInput(actor, path);
+        expect(result.buffer.byteLength).toBe(0);
+        expect(result.fsEntry?.uuid).toBe(entry.uuid);
+    });
+
     it('also accepts a `{ uuid }` object reference', async () => {
         const { actor, userId } = await makeUser();
         const username = actor.user!.username!;
diff --git a/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.ts b/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.ts
index 0e8b91347..89b6d795b 100644
--- a/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.ts
+++ b/src/backend/drivers/util/fileInput.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import type { Actor } from '../../core/actor.js';
 import { HttpError } from '../../core/http/HttpError.js';
 import type { FSService } from '../../services/fs/FSService.js';
 import { expandTildePath, resolveNode } from '../../services/fs/resolveNode.js';
+import { hasNoBackingS3Object } from '../../stores/fs/FSEntry.js';
 import type { FSEntryStore } from '../../stores/fs/FSEntryStore.js';
 import type { S3ObjectStore } from '../../stores/fs/S3ObjectStore.js';
 import { mimeFromName } from '../../util/fileSigning.js';
@@ -175,6 +176,23 @@ export async function loadFileInput(
     // `path`/`uid`/`uuid` (e.g. AI chat `puter_path` content parts) could
     // exfiltrate any user's file. Must run before the S3 read below.
     await fsService.checkFSAccess(entry, actor, 'read');
+    // Empty files (created via `touch`) have no backing S3 object —
+    // getObjectStream would throw NoSuchKey, so return empty content.
+    if (hasNoBackingS3Object(entry)) {
+        return {
+            buffer: Buffer.alloc(0),
+            filename: entry.name,
+            mimeType: mimeFromName(entry.name) ?? 'application/octet-stream',
+            fsEntry: {
+                uuid: entry.uuid,
+                path: entry.path,
+                bucket: entry.bucket,
+                bucketRegion: entry.bucketRegion,
+                size: entry.size,
+                sqlId: entry.id,
+            },
+        };
+    }
     const objectKey = entry.uuid;
     const { body, contentType, contentLength } =
         await stores.s3Object.getObjectStream(
diff --git a/src/backend/server.ts b/src/backend/server.ts
index 753e2c47c..64081e7e1 100644
--- a/src/backend/server.ts
+++ b/src/backend/server.ts
@@ -729,11 +729,13 @@ export class PuterServer {
                         if (status < 500) return;
                         if (SKIP_ALERT_PREFIXES.test(legacyCode)) return;
                     }
-                    const signature = isHttp
-                        ? err.legacyCode || err.code || err.message
-                        : err instanceof Error
-                          ? err.message
-                          : String(err);
+                    const signature = !isHttp
+                        ? err instanceof Error
+                            ? err.message
+                            : String(err)
+                        : status >= 500
+                          ? `${err.legacyCode || err.code || 'http'}:${err.message}`
+                          : err.legacyCode || err.code || err.message;
                     const routePath =
                         (req as unknown as { route?: { path?: string } }).route
                             ?.path ?? req.path;
diff --git a/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts b/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
index adfea5e65..aab2825d0 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {
     FSEntry,
     FSEntryCreateInput,
     FSEntryWriteInput,
+    hasNoBackingS3Object,
     PendingUploadCreateInput,
     PendingUploadSession,
 } from '../../stores/fs/FSEntry.js';
@@ -2806,6 +2807,24 @@ export class FSService extends PuterService {
                 { legacyCode: 'shortcut_target_not_found' },
             );
         }
+        // Empty files (created via `touch`/`createNonFileEntry` with kind
+        // 'empty-file') have no backing S3 object — `bucket` is null. Reading
+        // one would throw NoSuchKey and, worse, trip #handleGhostFile, which
+        // deletes the entry as if it were an orphan. Return an empty stream
+        // instead. (A real file whose object is genuinely missing keeps a
+        // non-null bucket, so it still falls through to the ghost path below.)
+        if (hasNoBackingS3Object(entry)) {
+            return {
+                body: Readable.from([]),
+                contentLength: 0,
+                contentType: null,
+                contentRange: null,
+                etag: null,
+                lastModified: entry.modified
+                    ? new Date(entry.modified * 1000)
+                    : null,
+            };
+        }
         const objectKey = entry.uuid;
         try {
             return await this.stores.s3Object.getObjectStream(
@@ -3646,6 +3665,24 @@ export class FSService extends PuterService {
             });
         }
 
+        // Empty files (created via `touch`/`createNonFileEntry` with kind
+        // 'empty-file') have no backing S3 object — `bucket` is null and there
+        // is nothing to CopyObject. Issuing one would throw NoSuchKey, so clone
+        // the source as another empty-file entry instead of touching S3.
+        if (hasNoBackingS3Object(source)) {
+            return this.stores.fsEntry.createNonFileEntry({
+                userId,
+                parent: destinationParent,
+                name: newName,
+                kind: 'empty-file',
+                metadata: source.metadata,
+                thumbnail: source.thumbnail,
+                associatedAppId: source.associatedAppId,
+                isPublic: source.isPublic,
+                immutable: source.immutable,
+            });
+        }
+
         const newUuid = uuidv4();
         const sourceObjectKey = source.uuid;
         const resolvedBucket = this.stores.s3Object.resolveBucket(
diff --git a/src/backend/stores/fs/FSEntry.ts b/src/backend/stores/fs/FSEntry.ts
index c5de50905..6a2e537d0 100644
--- a/src/backend/stores/fs/FSEntry.ts
+++ b/src/backend/stores/fs/FSEntry.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,17 @@ export interface FSEntry {
     suggestedApps: unknown[]; // TODO DS: type with app row
 }
 
+/**
+ * True when an entry has no backing S3 object. Empty files (size 0) created
+ * via `touch`/`createNonFileEntry` never upload to S3 and leave `bucket` null;
+ * real files always store a non-null bucket on write, so a null bucket on a
+ * size-0 entry reliably means there is nothing in S3 to read or copy. A real
+ * file whose object went missing keeps its bucket, so this stays false and the
+ * usual missing-object handling still applies.
+ */
+export const hasNoBackingS3Object = (entry: FSEntry): boolean =>
+    (entry.size ?? 0) === 0 && entry.bucket === null;
+
 export interface FSEntrySubdomain {
     uuid: string;
     address: string; // `${config.protocol}://${subdomain}.${'puter.site'|'puter.work'}` depending on wether dir or file