diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 9d371a3fc4918f06f79678e6d24a41ae8f7db6b0..bc3a3ab35d3512fad47755cf0fbd41bbe6055579 100755
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 	* Fixed bug #12455: OpenID authentication does not work with PHP 5.3
 	* Fixed bug #12054: PHP5.3-Warning about strcmp() parameters in view_help.php (thanks to Stefan Geith)
 	* Fixed bug #12195: Renaming write protected file issues a php warning
+	* Fixed bug #12099: Replace "Warning: filemtime(): stat failed" with a nice error message (thanks to Steffen Gebert)
 
 2009-11-17  Oliver Hader  <oliver@typo3.org>
 
diff --git a/t3lib/class.t3lib_befunc.php b/t3lib/class.t3lib_befunc.php
index 90fa57de4a3d914b285ba472054a1270ad36480b..73759d36e175ff7e4f04daf5966e04ab9fc0a5ea 100644
--- a/t3lib/class.t3lib_befunc.php
+++ b/t3lib/class.t3lib_befunc.php
@@ -1800,6 +1800,17 @@ final class t3lib_BEfunc {
 					$theFile_abs = PATH_site.($uploaddir?$uploaddir.'/':'').trim($theFile);
 					$theFile = ($abs?'':'../').($uploaddir?$uploaddir.'/':'').trim($theFile);
 
+					if (!is_readable($theFile_abs)) {
+						$flashMessage = t3lib_div::makeInstance(
+							't3lib_FlashMessage',
+							$GLOBALS['LANG']->sL('LLL:EXT:lang/locallang_core.xml:warning.file_missing_text') . ' <abbr title="' . $theFile_abs . '">' . $theFile . '</abbr>',
+							$GLOBALS['LANG']->sL('LLL:EXT:lang/locallang_core.xml:warning.file_missing'),
+							t3lib_FlashMessage::ERROR
+						);
+						$thumbData .= $flashMessage->render();
+						continue;
+					}
+
 					$check = basename($theFile_abs).':'.filemtime($theFile_abs).':'.$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['SYS']['encryptionKey'];
 					$params = '&file='.rawurlencode($theFile);
 					$params.= $size?'&size='.$size:'';
diff --git a/typo3/sysext/lang/locallang_core.xml b/typo3/sysext/lang/locallang_core.xml
index 5f7fc07644539210f03e0f0c89c3cf459100f750..9ebe04fac32efb523375f725dc8530b165b127ba 100755
--- a/typo3/sysext/lang/locallang_core.xml
+++ b/typo3/sysext/lang/locallang_core.xml
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ Would you like to save now in order to refresh the display?</label>
 			<label index="warning.header">Important Notice!</label>
 			<label index="warning.backend_reference">The Reference Index table is empty which is likely the result of a recent TYPO3 upgrade. Please go to %sTools&gt;DB Check%s and update the reference index.</label>
 			<label index="warning.memcache_not_usable">Memcache is configured, but connection to memcached failed with these configuration(s):</label>
+			<label index="warning.file_missing">File is missing!</label>
+			<label index="warning.file_missing_text">This content element references a file which seems to not exist:</label>
 			<label index="toolbarItems.shortcuts">Shortcuts</label>
 			<label index="toolbarItems.shortcut">Shortcut</label>
 			<label index="toolbarItems.shortcutsGroup">Shortcut Group</label>