diff --git a/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts b/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
index 57da35aa4..d9ed04213 100644
--- a/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/controllers/fs/LegacyFSController.test.ts
@@ -802,6 +802,58 @@ describe('LegacyFSController.copy', () => {
         expect(await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src)).not.toBeNull();
     });
 
+    it('copying a ghost file (S3 object missing) 404s and cleans up the orphan', async () => {
+        // A real file whose backing S3 object has vanished keeps a non-null
+        // bucket, so it isn't an empty file. CopyObject would throw S3
+        // NoSuchKey; copy must surface a clean 404 and remove the orphan row
+        // rather than bubbling a 500. Mirrors readContent's ghost handling.
+        const { actor, userId } = await makeUser();
+        const username = actor.user!.username!;
+        const src = `/${username}/Documents/ghost.txt`;
+        const content = Buffer.from('i will be deleted from s3');
+        await server.services.fs.write(userId, {
+            fileMetadata: {
+                path: src,
+                size: content.byteLength,
+                contentType: 'text/plain',
+            },
+            fileContent: content,
+        });
+
+        // Delete the backing S3 object directly, leaving the DB row behind.
+        const entry = (await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src))!;
+        await server.stores.s3Object.deleteObject(
+            server.stores.s3Object.resolveBucket(entry.bucket),
+            entry.uuid,
+            server.stores.s3Object.resolveRegion(entry.bucketRegion),
+        );
+
+        const { res } = makeRes();
+        await expect(
+            withActor(actor, () =>
+                controller.copy(
+                    makeReq({
+                        body: {
+                            source: src,
+                            destination: `/${username}/Pictures`,
+                        },
+                        actor,
+                    }),
+                    res,
+                ),
+            ),
+        ).rejects.toMatchObject({ statusCode: 404 });
+
+        // The ghost handler removed the orphaned source row.
+        expect(await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(src)).toBeNull();
+        // No partial copy was left behind.
+        expect(
+            await server.stores.fsEntry.getEntryByPath(
+                `/${username}/Pictures/ghost.txt`,
+            ),
+        ).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.
diff --git a/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts b/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
index aab2825d0..d1320a104 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/fs/FSService.ts
@@ -3688,15 +3688,35 @@ export class FSService extends PuterService {
         const resolvedBucket = this.stores.s3Object.resolveBucket(
             source.bucket,
         );
-        await this.stores.s3Object.copyObject(
-            {
-                sourceBucket: resolvedBucket,
-                sourceKey: sourceObjectKey,
-                destinationBucket: resolvedBucket,
-                destinationKey: newUuid,
-            },
-            this.stores.s3Object.resolveRegion(source.bucketRegion),
-        );
+        // A ghost file — DB row present with a non-null bucket but its backing
+        // S3 object gone — would make CopyObject throw NoSuchKey and bubble up
+        // as a 500. Mirror `readContent`: clean up the orphan and surface a
+        // 404 instead. (`hasNoBackingS3Object` above only covers legitimately
+        // empty files, which keep a null bucket.)
+        try {
+            await this.stores.s3Object.copyObject(
+                {
+                    sourceBucket: resolvedBucket,
+                    sourceKey: sourceObjectKey,
+                    destinationBucket: resolvedBucket,
+                    destinationKey: newUuid,
+                },
+                this.stores.s3Object.resolveRegion(source.bucketRegion),
+            );
+        } catch (err) {
+            if (isNoSuchKeyError(err)) {
+                await this.#handleGhostFile(source, sourceObjectKey);
+                throw new HttpError(404, 'File contents are missing', {
+                    legacyCode: 'subject_does_not_exist',
+                    cause: err,
+                    fields: {
+                        path: source.path,
+                        uid: source.uuid,
+                    },
+                });
+            }
+            throw err;
+        }
 
         const nextMetadata = this.#sanitizeClientMetadata(source.metadata);