diff --git a/lib/form/filemanager.js b/lib/form/filemanager.js
index 5711dfe57b047..fe230d6e79190 100644
--- a/lib/form/filemanager.js
+++ b/lib/form/filemanager.js
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ M.form_filemanager.init = function(Y, options) {
                         var data = null;
                         try {
                             data = Y.JSON.parse(o.responseText);
+                            if (data.error) {
+                                Y.use('moodle-core-notification-ajaxexception', function() {
+                                    return new M.core.ajaxException(data);
+                                });
+                                return;
+                            }
                         } catch(e) {
                             scope.print_msg(M.util.get_string('invalidjson', 'repository'), 'error');
                             Y.error(M.util.get_string('invalidjson', 'repository')+":\n"+o.responseText);