diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core.Tests/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelectorTests.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core.Tests/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelectorTests.cs
index d647152ab..685c9192e 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core.Tests/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelectorTests.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core.Tests/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelectorTests.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using NSubstitute;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using Serilog;
 using Shouldly;
+using Testably.Abstractions.Testing;
 
 namespace ErsatzTV.Core.Tests.FFmpeg;
 
@@ -65,8 +66,18 @@ public class WatermarkSelectorTests
 
         var loggerFactory = new LoggerFactory().AddSerilog(Log.Logger);
 
+        // watermarks should always exist; effectively ignoring filesystem checks for now
+        var mockFileSystem = new MockFileSystem();
+        mockFileSystem.Initialize()
+            .WithFile("/tmp/watermark");
+
+        var fakeImageCache = Substitute.For<IImageCache>();
+        fakeImageCache.GetPathForImage(Arg.Any<string>(), Arg.Is(ArtworkKind.Watermark), Arg.Any<Option<int>>())
+            .Returns(_ => "/tmp/watermark");
+
         WatermarkSelector = new WatermarkSelector(
-            Substitute.For<IImageCache>(),
+            mockFileSystem,
+            fakeImageCache,
             new DecoSelector(loggerFactory.CreateLogger<DecoSelector>()),
             loggerFactory.CreateLogger<WatermarkSelector>());
 
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelector.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelector.cs
index 10342a9f4..6519860c6 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelector.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/FFmpeg/WatermarkSelector.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.IO.Abstractions;
 using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain;
 using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain.Filler;
 using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain.Scheduling;
@@ -8,7 +9,11 @@ using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 
 namespace ErsatzTV.Core.FFmpeg;
 
-public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelector, ILogger<WatermarkSelector> logger)
+public class WatermarkSelector(
+    IFileSystem fileSystem,
+    IImageCache imageCache,
+    IDecoSelector decoSelector,
+    ILogger<WatermarkSelector> logger)
     : IWatermarkSelector
 {
     public List<WatermarkOptions> SelectWatermarks(
@@ -170,10 +175,18 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
             {
                 // used for song progress overlay
                 case ChannelWatermarkImageSource.Resource:
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(
-                        watermark,
-                        Path.Combine(FileSystemLayout.ResourcesCacheFolder, watermark.Image),
-                        Option<int>.None);
+                    string resourcePath = fileSystem.Path.Combine(
+                        FileSystemLayout.ResourcesCacheFolder,
+                        watermark.Image);
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(resourcePath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, resourcePath, Option<int>.None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Watermark resource no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        resourcePath);
+                    return None;
                 case ChannelWatermarkImageSource.Custom:
                     // bad form validation makes this possible
                     if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(watermark.Image))
@@ -190,10 +203,16 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                         watermark.Image,
                         ArtworkKind.Watermark,
                         Option<int>.None);
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(
-                        watermark,
-                        customPath,
-                        None);
+
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(customPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, customPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Custom watermark no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        customPath);
+                    return None;
                 case ChannelWatermarkImageSource.ChannelLogo:
                     logger.LogDebug("Watermark will come from playout item (channel logo)");
 
@@ -207,7 +226,15 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                             : imageCache.GetPathForImage(logoArtwork.Path, ArtworkKind.Logo, Option<int>.None);
                     }
 
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(channelPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Channel logo no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        channelPath);
+                    return None;
                 default:
                     throw new NotSupportedException("Unsupported watermark image source");
             }
@@ -225,10 +252,16 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                         channel.Watermark.Image,
                         ArtworkKind.Watermark,
                         Option<int>.None);
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(
-                        channel.Watermark,
-                        customPath,
-                        None);
+
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(customPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(channel.Watermark, customPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Custom watermark no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        customPath);
+                    return None;
                 case ChannelWatermarkImageSource.ChannelLogo:
                     logger.LogDebug("Watermark will come from channel (channel logo)");
 
@@ -242,7 +275,15 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                             : imageCache.GetPathForImage(logoArtwork.Path, ArtworkKind.Logo, Option<int>.None);
                     }
 
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(channel.Watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(channelPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(channel.Watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Channel logo no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        channelPath);
+                    return None;
                 default:
                     throw new NotSupportedException("Unsupported watermark image source");
             }
@@ -260,10 +301,16 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                         watermark.Image,
                         ArtworkKind.Watermark,
                         Option<int>.None);
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(
-                        watermark,
-                        customPath,
-                        None);
+
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(customPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, customPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Custom watermark no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        customPath);
+                    return None;
                 case ChannelWatermarkImageSource.ChannelLogo:
                     logger.LogDebug("Watermark will come from global (channel logo)");
 
@@ -277,7 +324,15 @@ public class WatermarkSelector(IImageCache imageCache, IDecoSelector decoSelecto
                             : imageCache.GetPathForImage(logoArtwork.Path, ArtworkKind.Logo, Option<int>.None);
                     }
 
-                    return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    if (fileSystem.File.Exists(channelPath))
+                    {
+                        return new WatermarkOptions(watermark, channelPath, None);
+                    }
+
+                    logger.LogWarning(
+                        "Channel logo no longer exists at {Path} and will be ignored",
+                        channelPath);
+                    return None;
                 default:
                     throw new NotSupportedException("Unsupported watermark image source");
             }
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Scanner.Tests/Core/FFmpeg/TranscodingTests.cs b/ErsatzTV.Scanner.Tests/Core/FFmpeg/TranscodingTests.cs
index 7e14380ba..ff8e988a4 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Scanner.Tests/Core/FFmpeg/TranscodingTests.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Scanner.Tests/Core/FFmpeg/TranscodingTests.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ using NSubstitute;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using Serilog;
 using Shouldly;
+using Testably.Abstractions;
 using Testably.Abstractions.Testing;
 using MediaStream = ErsatzTV.Core.Domain.MediaStream;
 
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@ public class TranscodingTests
         StreamingMode streamingMode)
     {
         var localFileSystem = new LocalFileSystem(
-            new MockFileSystem(),
+            new RealFileSystem(),
             Substitute.For<IClient>(),
             LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<LocalFileSystem>());
         var fileSystem = new MockFileSystem();
@@ -367,6 +368,7 @@ public class TranscodingTests
         DateTimeOffset now = DateTimeOffset.Now;
 
         WatermarkSelector watermarkSelector = new WatermarkSelector(
+            new MockFileSystem(),
             mockImageCache,
             new DecoSelector(LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<DecoSelector>()),
             LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<WatermarkSelector>());
@@ -696,6 +698,7 @@ public class TranscodingTests
             .Returns(Path.Combine(TestContext.CurrentContext.TestDirectory, "Resources", "ErsatzTV.png"));
 
         WatermarkSelector watermarkSelector = new WatermarkSelector(
+            new RealFileSystem(),
             mockImageCache,
             new DecoSelector(LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<DecoSelector>()),
             LoggerFactory.CreateLogger<WatermarkSelector>());