diff --git a/src/dc_tools.rs b/src/dc_tools.rs
index 4eefe97b6..255e73a2a 100644
--- a/src/dc_tools.rs
+++ b/src/dc_tools.rs
@@ -523,9 +523,13 @@ pub(crate) fn dc_create_folder(context: &Context, path: impl AsRef<std::path::Pa
 }
 
 /// Write a the given content to provied file path.
-pub(crate) fn dc_write_file(context: &Context, path: impl AsRef<Path>, buf: &[u8]) -> bool {
+pub(crate) fn dc_write_file(
+    context: &Context,
+    path: impl AsRef<Path>,
+    buf: &[u8],
+) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     let path_abs = dc_get_abs_path(context, &path);
-    if let Err(err) = fs::write(&path_abs, buf) {
+    fs::write(&path_abs, buf).map_err(|err| {
         warn!(
             context,
             "Cannot write {} bytes to \"{}\": {}",
@@ -533,10 +537,8 @@ pub(crate) fn dc_write_file(context: &Context, path: impl AsRef<Path>, buf: &[u8
             path.as_ref().display(),
             err
         );
-        false
-    } else {
-        true
-    }
+        err
+    })
 }
 
 pub fn dc_read_file<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>>(
@@ -1323,7 +1325,7 @@ mod tests {
             dc_delete_file(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar.dadada");
             dc_delete_file(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar-folder");
         }
-        assert!(dc_write_file(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar", b"content"));
+        assert!(dc_write_file(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar", b"content").is_ok());
         assert!(dc_file_exist(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar",));
         assert!(!dc_file_exist(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobarx"));
         assert_eq!(dc_get_filebytes(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar"), 7);
@@ -1355,7 +1357,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!dc_delete_file(context, "$BLOBDIR/foobar-folder"));
 
         let fn0 = "$BLOBDIR/data.data";
-        assert!(dc_write_file(context, &fn0, b"content"));
+        assert!(dc_write_file(context, &fn0, b"content").is_ok());
 
         assert!(dc_delete_file(context, &fn0));
         assert!(!dc_file_exist(context, &fn0));
diff --git a/src/imex.rs b/src/imex.rs
index c5c3066ad..62e2b8021 100644
--- a/src/imex.rs
+++ b/src/imex.rs
@@ -476,14 +476,15 @@ fn import_backup(context: &Context, backup_to_import: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Resul
                 }
 
                 let path_filename = context.get_blobdir().join(file_name);
-                if dc_write_file(context, &path_filename, &file_blob) {
+                if dc_write_file(context, &path_filename, &file_blob).is_err() {
+                    bail!(
+                        "Storage full? Cannot write file {} with {} bytes.",
+                        path_filename.display(),
+                        file_blob.len(),
+                    );
+                } else {
                     continue;
                 }
-                bail!(
-                    "Storage full? Cannot write file {} with {} bytes.",
-                    path_filename.display(),
-                    file_blob.len(),
-                );
             }
             Ok(())
         },
@@ -686,14 +687,14 @@ fn export_self_keys(context: &Context, dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<()> {
                 let (id, public_key, private_key, is_default) = key_pair?;
                 let id = Some(id).filter(|_| is_default != 0);
                 if let Some(key) = public_key {
-                    if !export_key_to_asc_file(context, &dir, id, &key) {
+                    if export_key_to_asc_file(context, &dir, id, &key).is_err() {
                         export_errors += 1;
                     }
                 } else {
                     export_errors += 1;
                 }
                 if let Some(key) = private_key {
-                    if !export_key_to_asc_file(context, &dir, id, &key) {
+                    if export_key_to_asc_file(context, &dir, id, &key).is_err() {
                         export_errors += 1;
                     }
                 } else {
@@ -717,8 +718,7 @@ fn export_key_to_asc_file(
     dir: impl AsRef<Path>,
     id: Option<i64>,
     key: &Key,
-) -> bool {
-    let mut success = false;
+) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     let file_name = {
         let kind = if key.is_public() { "public" } else { "private" };
         let id = id.map_or("default".into(), |i| i.to_string());
@@ -728,14 +728,13 @@ fn export_key_to_asc_file(
     info!(context, "Exporting key {}", file_name.display());
     dc_delete_file(context, &file_name);
 
-    if !key.write_asc_to_file(&file_name, context) {
+    let res = key.write_asc_to_file(&file_name, context);
+    if res.is_err() {
         error!(context, "Cannot write key to {}", file_name.display());
     } else {
         context.call_cb(Event::ImexFileWritten(file_name));
-        success = true;
     }
-
-    success
+    res
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -799,7 +798,7 @@ mod tests {
         let base64 = include_str!("../test-data/key/public.asc");
         let key = Key::from_base64(base64, KeyType::Public).unwrap();
         let blobdir = "$BLOBDIR";
-        assert!(export_key_to_asc_file(&context.ctx, blobdir, None, &key));
+        assert!(export_key_to_asc_file(&context.ctx, blobdir, None, &key).is_ok());
         let blobdir = context.ctx.get_blobdir().to_str().unwrap();
         let filename = format!("{}/public-key-default.asc", blobdir);
         let bytes = std::fs::read(&filename).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/key.rs b/src/key.rs
index 9679f7476..cd851c999 100644
--- a/src/key.rs
+++ b/src/key.rs
@@ -217,15 +217,18 @@ impl Key {
             .expect("failed to serialize key")
     }
 
-    pub fn write_asc_to_file(&self, file: impl AsRef<Path>, context: &Context) -> bool {
+    pub fn write_asc_to_file(
+        &self,
+        file: impl AsRef<Path>,
+        context: &Context,
+    ) -> std::io::Result<()> {
         let file_content = self.to_asc(None).into_bytes();
 
-        if dc_write_file(context, &file, &file_content) {
-            true
-        } else {
+        let res = dc_write_file(context, &file, &file_content);
+        if res.is_err() {
             error!(context, "Cannot write key to {}", file.as_ref().display());
-            false
         }
+        res
     }
 
     pub fn fingerprint(&self) -> String {