diff --git a/server/src/nest/journey/journey.controller.ts b/server/src/nest/journey/journey.controller.ts
index c1f16ef1b..306fbacec 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/journey/journey.controller.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/journey/journey.controller.ts
@@ -281,17 +281,27 @@ export class JourneyController {
   }
 
   @Delete('photos/:photoId')
-  deletePhoto(@CurrentUser() user: User, @Param('photoId') photoId: string) {
+  async deletePhoto(@CurrentUser() user: User, @Param('photoId') photoId: string) {
     const photo = this.journey.deletePhoto(Number(photoId), user.id);
     if (!photo) {
       throw new HttpException({ error: 'Photo not found' }, 404);
     }
-    if (photo.file_path) {
-      try { fs.unlinkSync(path.join(__dirname, '../../../uploads', photo.file_path)); } catch { /* file already gone */ }
-    }
+    await this.deletePhotoObject(photo.file_path);
     return { success: true };
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Best-effort removal of a deleted photo's bytes. file_path rows are the
+   * uploads-relative 'journey/<file>' form every writer stores; anything else
+   * (provider rows have null) has no local object.
+   */
+  private async deletePhotoObject(filePath: string | null | undefined): Promise<void> {
+    if (!filePath) return;
+    const name = filePath.startsWith('journey/') ? filePath.slice('journey/'.length) : null;
+    if (!name) return;
+    await this.storage.delete('journey', name).catch(() => { /* file already gone */ });
+  }
+
   // ── Gallery (prefix /:id/gallery — before /:id) ─────────────────────────
   @Post(':id/gallery/photos')
   @UseInterceptors(FilesInterceptor('photos'))
@@ -377,14 +387,12 @@ export class JourneyController {
 
   @Delete(':id/gallery/:journeyPhotoId')
   @HttpCode(204)
-  deleteGalleryPhoto(@CurrentUser() user: User, @Param('journeyPhotoId') journeyPhotoId: string): void {
+  async deleteGalleryPhoto(@CurrentUser() user: User, @Param('journeyPhotoId') journeyPhotoId: string): Promise<void> {
     const photo = this.journey.deleteGalleryPhoto(Number(journeyPhotoId), user.id);
     if (!photo) {
       throw new HttpException({ error: 'Photo not found or not allowed' }, 404);
     }
-    if (photo.file_path) {
-      try { fs.unlinkSync(path.join(__dirname, '../../../uploads', photo.file_path)); } catch { /* file already gone */ }
-    }
+    await this.deletePhotoObject(photo.file_path);
   }
 
   // ── Journeys /:id ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/nest/journey.controller.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/nest/journey.controller.test.ts
index aa0d996c2..0d93583f0 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/nest/journey.controller.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/nest/journey.controller.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
 import { HttpException } from '@nestjs/common';
 import type { Response } from 'express';
-// Still spied on by the DELETE-photo cases: those raw unlinks are slice-4 scope.
-import fs from 'node:fs';
 
 import { JourneyController } from '../../../src/nest/journey/journey.controller';
 import { JourneyPublicController } from '../../../src/nest/journey/journey-public.controller';
@@ -82,11 +80,11 @@ describe('JourneyController', () => {
     expect(thrown(() => new JourneyController(svc({ linkPhotoToEntry: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(null) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).linkPhoto(user, '3', { journey_photo_id: 9 }))).toEqual({ status: 403, body: { error: 'Not allowed' } });
   });
 
-  it('unlink photo (204) maps 404; delete photo 404 then unlinks file', () => {
+  it('unlink photo (204) maps 404; delete photo 404 then removes the object', async () => {
     expect(thrown(() => new JourneyController(svc({ unlinkPhotoFromEntry: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).unlinkPhoto(user, '3', '7'))).toEqual({ status: 404, body: { error: 'Not found or not allowed' } });
     expect(new JourneyController(svc({ unlinkPhotoFromEntry: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).unlinkPhoto(user, '3', '7')).toBeUndefined();
-    expect(thrown(() => new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(null) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7'))).toEqual({ status: 404, body: { error: 'Photo not found' } });
-    expect(new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: null }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7')).toEqual({ success: true });
+    expect(await thrownAsync(() => new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(null) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7'))).toEqual({ status: 404, body: { error: 'Photo not found' } });
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: null }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7')).toEqual({ success: true });
   });
 
   it('gallery upload 400 no files / 403 not allowed, else commits + returns photos', async () => {
@@ -214,17 +212,16 @@ describe('JourneyController', () => {
     expect(new JourneyController(svc({ updatePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7 }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).updatePhoto(user, '7', { caption: 'x' })).toEqual({ id: 7 });
   });
 
-  it('DELETE photo unlinks the file when a path exists', () => {
-    const unlinkSpy = vi.spyOn(fs, 'unlinkSync').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
-    try {
-      expect(new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: 'journey/a.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7')).toEqual({ success: true });
-      expect(unlinkSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      // a vanished file is swallowed
-      unlinkSpy.mockImplementationOnce(() => { throw new Error('ENOENT'); });
-      expect(new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 8, file_path: 'journey/b.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '8')).toEqual({ success: true });
-    } finally {
-      unlinkSpy.mockRestore();
-    }
+  it('DELETE photo removes the storage object when a path exists', async () => {
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: 'journey/a.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '7')).toEqual({ success: true });
+    expect(storageStub.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith('journey', 'a.jpg');
+    // a vanished object is swallowed
+    (storageStub.delete as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('ENOENT'));
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 8, file_path: 'journey/b.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '8')).toEqual({ success: true });
+    // a file_path outside the journey category never reaches storage
+    (storageStub.delete as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockClear();
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deletePhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 9, file_path: 'elsewhere/x.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deletePhoto(user, '9')).toEqual({ success: true });
+    expect(storageStub.delete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it('gallery provider-photos: batch (with passphrase), single 400/403, success', () => {
@@ -237,19 +234,14 @@ describe('JourneyController', () => {
     expect(new JourneyController(svc({ addProviderPhotoToGallery: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 3 }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).galleryProviderPhotos(user, '9', { provider: 'immich', asset_id: 'a' })).toEqual({ id: 3 });
   });
 
-  it('DELETE gallery photo: 404, then unlinks the file when present', () => {
-    expect(thrown(() => new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(null) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '7'))).toEqual({ status: 404, body: { error: 'Photo not found or not allowed' } });
-    // no file_path → nothing to unlink, returns void
-    expect(new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: null }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '7')).toBeUndefined();
-    const unlinkSpy = vi.spyOn(fs, 'unlinkSync').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
-    try {
-      new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 8, file_path: 'journey/g.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '8');
-      expect(unlinkSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      unlinkSpy.mockImplementationOnce(() => { throw new Error('ENOENT'); });
-      expect(new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 9, file_path: 'journey/h.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '9')).toBeUndefined();
-    } finally {
-      unlinkSpy.mockRestore();
-    }
+  it('DELETE gallery photo: 404, then removes the object when present', async () => {
+    expect(await thrownAsync(() => new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(null) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '7'))).toEqual({ status: 404, body: { error: 'Photo not found or not allowed' } });
+    // no file_path → nothing to delete, returns void
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 7, file_path: null }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '7')).toBeUndefined();
+    await new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 8, file_path: 'journey/g.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '8');
+    expect(storageStub.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith('journey', 'g.jpg');
+    (storageStub.delete as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('ENOENT'));
+    expect(await new JourneyController(svc({ deleteGalleryPhoto: vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ id: 9, file_path: 'journey/h.jpg' }) } as Partial<JourneyService>), storageStub).deleteGalleryPhoto(user, '9')).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
   it('PATCH /:id returns the updated journey on success', () => {