diff --git a/src/SongUpdate.cxx b/src/SongUpdate.cxx
index 9887da507..d873c81e9 100644
--- a/src/SongUpdate.cxx
+++ b/src/SongUpdate.cxx
@@ -42,8 +42,7 @@
 #ifdef ENABLE_DATABASE
 
 SongPtr
-Song::LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *path_utf8,
-	       Directory &parent) noexcept
+Song::LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *path_utf8, Directory &parent)
 {
 	assert(!uri_has_scheme(path_utf8));
 	assert(strchr(path_utf8, '\n') == nullptr);
@@ -60,17 +59,11 @@ Song::LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *path_utf8,
 #ifdef ENABLE_DATABASE
 
 bool
-Song::UpdateFile(Storage &storage) noexcept
+Song::UpdateFile(Storage &storage)
 {
 	const auto &relative_uri = GetURI();
 
-	StorageFileInfo info;
-	try {
-		info = storage.GetInfo(relative_uri.c_str(), true);
-	} catch (...) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
+	const auto info = storage.GetInfo(relative_uri.c_str(), true);
 	if (!info.IsRegular())
 		return false;
 
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
index 23056cbbf..b37feef01 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
@@ -105,13 +105,23 @@ struct Song {
 	 * allocate a new song structure with a local file name and attempt to
 	 * load its metadata.  If all decoder plugin fail to read its meta
 	 * data, nullptr is returned.
+	 *
+	 * Throws on error.
+	 *
+	 * @return the song on success, nullptr if the file was not
+	 * recognized
 	 */
 	static SongPtr LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *name_utf8,
-				Directory &parent) noexcept;
+				Directory &parent);
 
 	void Free() noexcept;
 
-	bool UpdateFile(Storage &storage) noexcept;
+	/**
+	 * Throws on error.
+	 *
+	 * @return true on success, false if the file was not recognized
+	 */
+	bool UpdateFile(Storage &storage);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
 	static SongPtr LoadFromArchive(ArchiveFile &archive,
diff --git a/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx b/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
index c5c032618..b8da4deb2 100644
--- a/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
+++ b/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ inline void
 UpdateWalk::UpdateSongFile2(Directory &directory,
 			    const char *name, const char *suffix,
 			    const StorageFileInfo &info) noexcept
-{
+try {
 	Song *song;
 	{
 		const ScopeDatabaseLock protect;
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateSongFile2(Directory &directory,
 	if (song == nullptr) {
 		FormatDebug(update_domain, "reading %s/%s",
 			    directory.GetPath(), name);
+
 		auto new_song = Song::LoadFile(storage, name, directory);
 		if (!new_song) {
 			FormatDebug(update_domain,
@@ -89,6 +90,10 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateSongFile2(Directory &directory,
 
 		modified = true;
 	}
+} catch (...) {
+	FormatError(std::current_exception(),
+		    "error reading file %s/%s",
+		    directory.GetPath(), name);
 }
 
 bool