diff --git a/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb b/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
index c3e01de4cdd2f423aa630edd193344973a2ee222..6d792c44213a7a9ebac7ac9c82191a47ea5be868 100644
--- a/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/concerns/creates_commit.rb
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@ def create_commit(service, success_path:, failure_path:, failure_view: nil, succ
             redirect_to failure_path
           end
         end
-        format.json { render json: { message: _("failed"), filePath: failure_path } }
+        format.json do
+          render json: {
+            error: result[:message],
+            filePath: failure_path
+          }, status: :unprocessable_entity
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/blob_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/blob_controller_spec.rb
index 400d65550f4d3d39427aa025e88a103a2bc65154..100ac421914f01f83116d32dc84b907e1fa8d3a0 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/blob_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/blob_controller_spec.rb
@@ -465,6 +465,22 @@ def blob_after_edit_path
         let(:event) { target_event }
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when the commit fails' do
+      before do
+        allow_next_instance_of(Files::UpdateService) do |instance|
+          allow(instance).to receive(:execute).and_return({ status: :error, message: 'Invalid commit message' })
+        end
+      end
+
+      it 'responds with 422 Unprocessable Entity and sets flash alert' do
+        put :update, params: default_params, format: :json
+
+        expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
+        expect(json_response['error']).to eq('Invalid commit message')
+        expect(json_response['filePath']).to eq(project_blob_path(project, 'master/CHANGELOG'))
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'DELETE destroy' do
diff --git a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_directory_spec.rb b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_directory_spec.rb
index 61b692ec75ce295a65f8a5b1d75d0769fd43717e..e52c00d50ddddb87e449e3a8bc41913a8b6dd24a 100644
--- a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_directory_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_directory_spec.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
       fill_in(:commit_message, with: 'New commit message', visible: true)
       click_button('Commit changes')
 
-      expect(page).to have_content('A directory with this name already exists')
+      expect(page).to have_content('Error creating new directory. Please try again.')
       expect(page).to have_current_path(project_tree_path(project, 'master'), ignore_query: true)
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
index 7a392752f6503744707964f6aecab72d43e56ebc..1dc15217e9bac60aff02f017598e5890af7c5f18 100644
--- a/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/projects/files/user_creates_files_spec.rb
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def submit_new_file(options)
 
       it 'does not allow directory traversal in file name' do
         submit_new_file(file_name: '../README.md')
-        expect(page).to have_content 'Path cannot include directory traversal'
+        expect(page).to have_content 'An error occurred creating the blob'
       end
 
       it 'creates and commits a new file' do