diff --git a/lib/ui/actions/collection/collection_file_actions.dart b/lib/ui/actions/collection/collection_file_actions.dart
index 2f39c3086..bf8faecc1 100644
--- a/lib/ui/actions/collection/collection_file_actions.dart
+++ b/lib/ui/actions/collection/collection_file_actions.dart
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import 'package:photos/models/file.dart';
 import 'package:photos/models/selected_files.dart';
 import "package:photos/services/collections_service.dart";
 import 'package:photos/services/favorites_service.dart';
+import "package:photos/services/hidden_service.dart";
 import "package:photos/services/ignored_files_service.dart";
 import "package:photos/services/remote_sync_service.dart";
 import 'package:photos/ui/actions/collection/collection_sharing_actions.dart';
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import 'package:photos/ui/components/action_sheet_widget.dart';
 import 'package:photos/ui/components/buttons/button_widget.dart';
 import 'package:photos/ui/components/models/button_type.dart';
 import 'package:photos/utils/dialog_util.dart';
+import "package:photos/utils/file_uploader.dart";
 import "package:photos/utils/share_util.dart";
 import 'package:photos/utils/toast_util.dart';
 import "package:receive_sharing_intent/receive_sharing_intent.dart";
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ extension CollectionFileActions on CollectionActions {
     List<SharedMediaFile>? sharedFiles,
     List<XFile>? pickedFiles,
   }) async {
-    final dialog = showProgressDialog
+    ProgressDialog? dialog = showProgressDialog
         ? createProgressDialog(
             context,
             S.of(context).uploadingFilesToAlbum,
@@ -139,9 +141,23 @@ extension CollectionFileActions on CollectionActions {
         final Collection? c =
             CollectionsService.instance.getCollectionByID(collectionID);
         if (c != null && c.owner!.id != currentUserID) {
-          showToast(context, S.of(context).canNotUploadToAlbumsOwnedByOthers);
-          await dialog?.hide();
-          return false;
+          if (!showProgressDialog) {
+            dialog = createProgressDialog(
+              context,
+              S.of(context).uploadingFilesToAlbum,
+              isDismissible: true,
+            );
+            await dialog.show();
+          }
+          final Collection uncat =
+              await CollectionsService.instance.getUncategorizedCollection();
+          for (File unuploadedFile in filesPendingUpload) {
+            final uploadedFile = await FileUploader.instance.forceUpload(
+              unuploadedFile,
+              uncat.id,
+            );
+            files.add(uploadedFile);
+          }
         } else {
           // filesPendingUpload might be getting ignored during auto-upload
           // because the user deleted these files from ente in the past.
diff --git a/lib/utils/file_uploader.dart b/lib/utils/file_uploader.dart
index e3c828115..76fb9fb9e 100644
--- a/lib/utils/file_uploader.dart
+++ b/lib/utils/file_uploader.dart
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import 'package:photos/models/encryption_result.dart';
 import 'package:photos/models/file.dart';
 import 'package:photos/models/file_type.dart';
 import "package:photos/models/metadata/file_magic.dart";
-
 import 'package:photos/models/upload_url.dart';
 import 'package:photos/services/collections_service.dart';
 import "package:photos/services/file_magic_service.dart";
@@ -296,20 +295,26 @@ class FileUploader {
     }
   }
 
+  Future<File> forceUpload(File file, int collectionID) async {
+    return _tryToUpload(file, collectionID, true);
+  }
+
   Future<File> _tryToUpload(
     File file,
     int collectionID,
     bool forcedUpload,
   ) async {
     await checkNetworkForUpload(isForceUpload: forcedUpload);
-    final fileOnDisk = await FilesDB.instance.getFile(file.generatedID!);
-    final wasAlreadyUploaded = fileOnDisk != null &&
-        fileOnDisk.uploadedFileID != null &&
-        (fileOnDisk.updationTime ?? -1) != -1 &&
-        (fileOnDisk.collectionID ?? -1) == collectionID;
-    if (wasAlreadyUploaded) {
-      debugPrint("File is already uploaded ${fileOnDisk.tag}");
-      return fileOnDisk;
+    if (!forcedUpload) {
+      final fileOnDisk = await FilesDB.instance.getFile(file.generatedID!);
+      final wasAlreadyUploaded = fileOnDisk != null &&
+          fileOnDisk.uploadedFileID != null &&
+          (fileOnDisk.updationTime ?? -1) != -1 &&
+          (fileOnDisk.collectionID ?? -1) == collectionID;
+      if (wasAlreadyUploaded) {
+        debugPrint("File is already uploaded ${fileOnDisk.tag}");
+        return fileOnDisk;
+      }
     }
     if ((file.localID ?? '') == '') {
       _logger.severe('Trying to upload file with missing localID');
@@ -590,7 +595,9 @@ class FileUploader {
         "\n existing: ${sameLocalSameCollection.tag}",
       );
       // should delete the fileToUploadEntry
-      await FilesDB.instance.deleteByGeneratedID(fileToUpload.generatedID!);
+      if (fileToUpload.generatedID != null) {
+        await FilesDB.instance.deleteByGeneratedID(fileToUpload.generatedID!);
+      }
 
       Bus.instance.fire(
         LocalPhotosUpdatedEvent(
@@ -619,7 +626,11 @@ class FileUploader {
         fileMissingLocal.uploadedFileID!,
         fileToUpload.localID!,
       );
-      await FilesDB.instance.deleteByGeneratedID(fileToUpload.generatedID!);
+      // For files selected from device, during collaborative upload, we don't
+      // insert entries in the FilesDB. So, we don't need to delete the entry
+      if (fileToUpload.generatedID != null) {
+        await FilesDB.instance.deleteByGeneratedID(fileToUpload.generatedID!);
+      }
       Bus.instance.fire(
         LocalPhotosUpdatedEvent(
           [fileToUpload],
@@ -848,7 +859,9 @@ class FileUploader {
 
   Future<UploadURL> _getUploadURL() async {
     if (_uploadURLs.isEmpty) {
-      await fetchUploadURLs(_queue.length);
+      // the queue is empty, fetch at least for one file to handle force uploads
+      // that are not in the queue. This is to also avoid
+      await fetchUploadURLs(max(_queue.length, 1));
     }
     try {
       return _uploadURLs.removeFirst();