diff --git a/client/client_content.go b/client/client_content.go
index 77876b09..fd768117 100644
--- a/client/client_content.go
+++ b/client/client_content.go
@@ -779,6 +779,8 @@ func (c *Client) handleFTGetChunk(ru *RemoteUser, gc rpc.RMFTGetChunk) error {
 	var f clientdb.SharedFile
 	var md rpc.FileMetadata
 	var inv string
+	var amountMAtoms uint64
+	var genInvErr error
 	chunkIdx := gc.Index
 	err := c.dbUpdate(func(tx clientdb.ReadWriteTx) error {
 		var err error
@@ -793,7 +795,7 @@ func (c *Client) handleFTGetChunk(ru *RemoteUser, gc rpc.RMFTGetChunk) error {
 		}
 
 		// Generate invoice for the given amount.
-		amountMAtoms := clientintf.FileChunkMAtoms(chunkIdx, &md)
+		amountMAtoms = clientintf.FileChunkMAtoms(chunkIdx, &md)
 		if amountMAtoms < 1000 {
 			// File is free to download.
 			return nil
@@ -819,8 +821,32 @@ func (c *Client) handleFTGetChunk(ru *RemoteUser, gc rpc.RMFTGetChunk) error {
 
 		inv, err = c.genInvoiceForFTUpload(tx, ru, f, cid,
 			chunkIdx, amountMAtoms)
+		if err != nil {
+			genInvErr = err
+		}
 		return err
 	})
+	if genInvErr != nil {
+		// Generating the invoice for this chunk failed (e.g. dcrlnd has
+		// no inbound capacity). Notify the local user and reply to the
+		// getter with an error so its download does not stall silently.
+		errStr := genInvErr.Error()
+		c.ntfns.notifyInvoiceGenFailed(ru, float64(amountMAtoms)/1e11, genInvErr)
+		go func() {
+			rm := rpc.RMFTPayForChunk{
+				Tag:    gc.Tag,
+				FileID: gc.FileID,
+				Index:  chunkIdx,
+				Hash:   gc.Hash,
+				Error:  &errStr,
+			}
+			if e := ru.sendRM(rm, "ftpayforchunk"); e != nil &&
+				!errors.Is(e, clientintf.ErrSubsysExiting) {
+				ru.log.Errorf("Unable to send chunk-invoice failure: %v", e)
+			}
+		}()
+		return nil
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -838,6 +864,32 @@ func (c *Client) handleFTGetChunk(ru *RemoteUser, gc rpc.RMFTGetChunk) error {
 // handleFTPayForChunk this is called when we receive an invoice to pay for a
 // chunk of data.
 func (c *Client) handleFTPayForChunk(ru *RemoteUser, pfc rpc.RMFTPayForChunk) error {
+	// If the remote could not provide the chunk (e.g. it failed to generate
+	// an invoice), surface the failure instead of trying to decode an empty
+	// invoice, which would otherwise leave the download stalled.
+	if pfc.Error != nil {
+		derr := fmt.Errorf("remote could not provide chunk %d of file %s: %s",
+			pfc.Index, pfc.FileID, *pfc.Error)
+		ru.log.Warnf("%v", derr)
+		var fid clientdb.FileID
+		if err := fid.FromString(pfc.FileID); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		var fd clientdb.FileDownload
+		err := c.dbView(func(tx clientdb.ReadTx) error {
+			var err error
+			fd, err = c.db.ReadFileDownload(tx, ru.ID(), fid)
+			return err
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if fd.Metadata != nil {
+			c.ntfns.notifyFileDownloadFailed(ru, *fd.Metadata, derr)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Verify this is a valid invoice.
 	inv, err := c.pc.DecodeInvoice(c.ctx, pfc.Invoice)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/client/notifications.go b/client/notifications.go
index 43e5c702..456127cc 100644
--- a/client/notifications.go
+++ b/client/notifications.go
@@ -326,6 +326,14 @@ type OnFileDownloadProgress func(user *RemoteUser, fm rpc.FileMetadata, nbMissin
 
 func (OnFileDownloadProgress) typ() string { return onFileDownloadProgress }
 
+const onFileDownloadFailed = "onFileDownloadFailed"
+
+// FileDownloadFailed is called when a file download cannot proceed, for
+// example because the remote client could not generate an invoice for a chunk.
+type OnFileDownloadFailed func(user *RemoteUser, fm rpc.FileMetadata, err error)
+
+func (OnFileDownloadFailed) typ() string { return onFileDownloadFailed }
+
 const onRMReceived = "onRMReceived"
 
 // OnRMReceived is a notification sent whenever a remote user receives an RM.
@@ -1127,6 +1135,11 @@ func (nmgr *NotificationManager) notifyFileDownloadProgress(user *RemoteUser, fm
 		visit(func(h OnFileDownloadProgress) { h(user, fm, nbMissingChunks) })
 }
 
+func (nmgr *NotificationManager) notifyFileDownloadFailed(user *RemoteUser, fm rpc.FileMetadata, err error) {
+	nmgr.handlers[onFileDownloadFailed].(*handlersFor[OnFileDownloadFailed]).
+		visit(func(h OnFileDownloadFailed) { h(user, fm, err) })
+}
+
 func (nmgr *NotificationManager) notifyRMReceived(ru *RemoteUser, rmh *rpc.RMHeader, p interface{}, ts time.Time) {
 	nmgr.handlers[onRMReceived].(*handlersFor[OnRMReceived]).
 		visit(func(h OnRMReceived) { h(ru, rmh, p, ts) })
@@ -1338,6 +1351,7 @@ func NewNotificationManager() *NotificationManager {
 			onContentListReceived:      &handlersFor[OnContentListReceived]{},
 			onFileDownloadCompleted:    &handlersFor[OnFileDownloadCompleted]{},
 			onFileDownloadProgress:     &handlersFor[OnFileDownloadProgress]{},
+			onFileDownloadFailed:       &handlersFor[OnFileDownloadFailed]{},
 			onServerUnwelcomeError:     &handlersFor[OnServerUnwelcomeError]{},
 			onRequestingMediateIDType:  &handlersFor[OnRequestingMediateID]{},
 
diff --git a/internal/e2etests/content_test.go b/internal/e2etests/content_test.go
index 7ff2b8c0..773069b3 100644
--- a/internal/e2etests/content_test.go
+++ b/internal/e2etests/content_test.go
@@ -136,6 +136,48 @@ func TestFtDownloadFile(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.EqualFiles(t, fGlobal, completedPath1)
 }
 
+// TestFtPaidDownloadInvoiceGenFails verifies that when a host cannot generate
+// the invoice for a paid file chunk, it signals the failure to both sides
+// (OnInvoiceGenFailedNtfn locally and an error reply that the getter surfaces
+// as OnFileDownloadFailed) rather than leaving the getter's download stalled.
+func TestFtPaidDownloadInvoiceGenFails(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tcfg := testScaffoldCfg{}
+	ts := newTestScaffold(t, tcfg)
+	alice := ts.newClient("alice")
+	bob := ts.newClient("bob")
+	ts.kxUsers(alice, bob)
+
+	// The host (alice) cannot generate an invoice for the chunk.
+	alice.mpc.HookGetInvoice(func(amt int64, cb func(int64)) (string, error) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("not enough inbound capacity")
+	})
+
+	// Host should be notified the invoice could not be generated.
+	aliceInvFailChan := make(chan error, 4)
+	alice.handle(client.OnInvoiceGenFailedNtfn(func(_ *client.RemoteUser, _ float64, err error) {
+		aliceInvFailChan <- err
+	}))
+	// Getter should be notified the download failed (instead of stalling).
+	bobDownFailChan := make(chan error, 4)
+	bob.handle(client.OnFileDownloadFailed(func(_ *client.RemoteUser, _ rpc.FileMetadata, err error) {
+		bobDownFailChan <- err
+	}))
+
+	// Alice shares a paid file with Bob.
+	f := testutils.RandomFile(t, defaultChunkSize)
+	bobUID := bob.PublicID()
+	sf, _, err := alice.ShareFile(f, &bobUID, 1, "paid file")
+	assert.NilErr(t, err)
+
+	// Bob requests it; the host's invoice generation fails. Instead of
+	// stalling, both sides receive a signal.
+	assert.NilErr(t, bob.GetUserContent(alice.PublicID(), sf.FID))
+	assert.ChanWritten(t, aliceInvFailChan)
+	assert.ChanWritten(t, bobDownFailChan)
+}
+
 // TestFtSendFile tests that the send file feature works.
 func TestFtSendFile(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()