diff --git a/gitbutler-app/src/projects/commands.rs b/gitbutler-app/src/projects/commands.rs
index c3f1e0c7d..9e0fb0b7b 100644
--- a/gitbutler-app/src/projects/commands.rs
+++ b/gitbutler-app/src/projects/commands.rs
@@ -14,10 +14,16 @@ impl From<controller::UpdateError> for Error {
     fn from(value: controller::UpdateError) -> Self {
         match value {
             controller::UpdateError::Validation(
-                controller::UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFound(path)
+                controller::UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFound(path),
             ) => Error::UserError {
                 code: Code::Projects,
-                message: format!("key '{}' not found", path.display()),
+                message: format!("'{}' not found", path.display()),
+            },
+            controller::UpdateError::Validation(controller::UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFile(
+                path,
+            )) => Error::UserError {
+                code: Code::Projects,
+                message: format!("'{}' is not a file", path.display()),
             },
             controller::UpdateError::NotFound => Error::UserError {
                 code: Code::Projects,
diff --git a/gitbutler-app/src/projects/controller.rs b/gitbutler-app/src/projects/controller.rs
index f20392549..232a215a9 100644
--- a/gitbutler-app/src/projects/controller.rs
+++ b/gitbutler-app/src/projects/controller.rs
@@ -92,13 +92,23 @@ impl Controller {
     }
 
     pub async fn update(&self, project: &UpdateRequest) -> Result<Project, UpdateError> {
-        if let Some(super::AuthKey::Local { private_key_path, .. }) = &project.preferred_key {
+        if let Some(super::AuthKey::Local {
+            private_key_path, ..
+        }) = &project.preferred_key
+        {
             use resolve_path::PathResolveExt;
             let private_key_path = private_key_path.resolve();
+
             if !private_key_path.exists() {
-                return Err(UpdateError::Validation(
-                    UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFound(private_key_path.to_path_buf()),
-                ));
+                return Err(UpdateError::Validation(UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFound(
+                    private_key_path.to_path_buf(),
+                )));
+            }
+
+            if !private_key_path.is_file() {
+                return Err(UpdateError::Validation(UpdateValidationError::KeyNotFile(
+                    private_key_path.to_path_buf(),
+                )));
             }
         }
 
@@ -222,6 +232,8 @@ pub enum UpdateError {
 pub enum UpdateValidationError {
     #[error("{0} not found")]
     KeyNotFound(path::PathBuf),
+    #[error("{0} is not a file")]
+    KeyNotFile(path::PathBuf),
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]