diff --git a/src/file-handler.ts b/src/file-handler.ts
index 3f53bbd..1835b1a 100644
--- a/src/file-handler.ts
+++ b/src/file-handler.ts
@@ -122,18 +122,17 @@ const loadCameraPoses = async (url: string, filename: string, events: Events) =>
 // initialize file handler events
 const initFileHandler = async (scene: Scene, events: Events, dropTarget: HTMLElement, remoteStorageDetails: RemoteStorageDetails) => {
 
+    // returns a promise that resolves when the file is loaded
     const handleLoad = async (url: string, filename: string) => {
         try {
             const lowerFilename = (filename || url).toLowerCase();
             if (lowerFilename.endsWith('.json')) {
                 await loadCameraPoses(url, filename, events);
             } else if (lowerFilename.endsWith('.ply') || lowerFilename.endsWith('.splat')) {
-                await scene.assetLoader.loadModel({ url, filename })
-                    .then((model) => {
-                        scene.add(model);
-                        scene.camera.focus();
-                        events.fire('loaded', filename);
-                    });
+                const model = await scene.assetLoader.loadModel({ url, filename });
+                scene.add(model);
+                scene.camera.focus();
+                events.fire('loaded', filename);
             } else {
                 throw new Error(`Unsupported file type`);
             }
@@ -333,40 +332,48 @@ const initFileHandler = async (scene: Scene, events: Events, dropTarget: HTMLEle
     });
 
     events.function('scene.write', async (options: SceneWriteOptions) => {
-        const splats = getSplats();
-
         startSpinner();
 
-        // setTimeout so spinner has a chance to activate
-        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-            setTimeout(resolve);
-        });
+        try {
+            const splats = getSplats();
 
-        const data = (() => {
-            switch (options.type) {
-                case 'ply':
-                    return convertPly(splats);
-                case 'compressed-ply':
-                    return convertPlyCompressed(splats);
-                case 'splat':
-                    return convertSplat(splats);
-                default:
-                    return null;
+            // setTimeout so spinner has a chance to activate
+            await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+                setTimeout(resolve);
+            });
+
+            const data = (() => {
+                switch (options.type) {
+                    case 'ply':
+                        return convertPly(splats);
+                    case 'compressed-ply':
+                        return convertPlyCompressed(splats);
+                    case 'splat':
+                        return convertSplat(splats);
+                    default:
+                        return null;
+                }
+            })();
+
+            if (options.stream) {
+                // write to stream
+                await writeToFile(options.stream, data);
+            } else if (remoteStorageDetails) {
+                // write data to remote storage
+                await sendToRemoteStorage(options.filename, data, remoteStorageDetails);
+            } else if (options.filename) {
+                // download file to local machine
+                download(options.filename, data);
             }
-        })();
-
-        if (options.stream) {
-            // write to stream
-            await writeToFile(options.stream, data);
-        } else if (remoteStorageDetails) {
-            // write data to remote storage
-            await sendToRemoteStorage(options.filename, data, remoteStorageDetails);
-        } else if (options.filename) {
-            // download file to local machine
-            download(options.filename, data);
+        } catch (err) {
+            events.invoke('showPopup', {
+                type: 'error',
+                header: localize('popup.error-loading'),
+                message: `${err.message ?? err} while saving file`
+            });
+        } finally {
+            stopSpinner();
         }
-
-        stopSpinner();
     });
 };