diff --git a/app/file.go b/app/file.go
index 5be9636b46..6371386b97 100644
--- a/app/file.go
+++ b/app/file.go
@@ -434,8 +434,13 @@ func (a *App) UploadFiles(teamId string, channelId string, userId string, files
 
 // UploadFile uploads a single file in form of a completely constructed byte array for a channel.
 func (a *App) UploadFile(data []byte, channelId string, filename string) (*model.FileInfo, *model.AppError) {
-	info, _, appError := a.DoUploadFileExpectModification(time.Now(), "noteam", channelId, "nouser", filename, data)
+	_, err := a.GetChannel(channelId)
+	if err != nil && channelId != "" {
+		return nil, model.NewAppError("UploadFile", "api.file.upload_file.incorrect_channelId.app_error",
+			map[string]interface{}{"channelId": channelId}, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
+	}
 
+	info, _, appError := a.DoUploadFileExpectModification(time.Now(), "noteam", channelId, "nouser", filename, data)
 	if appError != nil {
 		return nil, appError
 	}
diff --git a/app/file_test.go b/app/file_test.go
index 0e3e82f2b5..12fb84d1eb 100644
--- a/app/file_test.go
+++ b/app/file_test.go
@@ -87,14 +87,21 @@ func TestDoUploadFile(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestUploadFile(t *testing.T) {
-	th := Setup(t)
+	th := Setup(t).InitBasic()
 	defer th.TearDown()
 
-	channelId := model.NewId()
+	channelId := th.BasicChannel.Id
 	filename := "test"
 	data := []byte("abcd")
 
-	info1, err := th.App.UploadFile(data, channelId, filename)
+	info1, err := th.App.UploadFile(data, "wrong", filename)
+	require.Error(t, err, "Wrong Channel ID.")
+	require.Nil(t, info1, "Channel ID does not exist.")
+
+	info1, err = th.App.UploadFile(data, "", filename)
+	require.Nil(t, err, "empty channel IDs should be valid")
+
+	info1, err = th.App.UploadFile(data, channelId, filename)
 	require.Nil(t, err, "UploadFile should succeed with valid data")
 	defer func() {
 		th.App.Srv().Store.FileInfo().PermanentDelete(info1.Id)
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 52ddb4c6b9..44419387a3 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -1360,6 +1360,10 @@
     "id": "api.file.test_connection.s3.connection.app_error",
     "translation": "Bad connection to S3 or minio."
   },
+  {
+    "id": "api.file.upload_file.incorrect_channelId.app_error",
+    "translation": "Unable to upload the file. Incorrect channel ID: {{.channelId}}"
+  },
   {
     "id": "api.file.upload_file.incorrect_number_of_client_ids.app_error",
     "translation": "Unable to upload file(s). Have {{.NumClientIds}} client_ids for {{.NumFiles}} files."