diff --git a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.test.js b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.test.js
index 31cada5b3a1..c3712832737 100644
--- a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.test.js
+++ b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import axios from "axios";
 import BootstrapVue from "bootstrap-vue";
 
 import {
+    ftpId,
     rootId,
     directoryId,
     subDirectoryId,
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import {
     directory2RecursiveResponse,
     directory1Response,
     subsubdirectoryResponse,
+    someErrorText,
 } from "./testingData";
 import { selectionStates } from "components/SelectionDialog/selectionStates";
 
@@ -44,6 +46,11 @@ const initComponent = async (props) => {
         axiosMock.onGet(path).reply(200, response);
     }
 
+    axiosMock.onGet("/api/remote_files?target=gxfiles://empty-dir").reply(404, {
+        err_msg: someErrorText,
+        err_code: 404,
+    });
+
     const wrapper = shallowMount(FilesDialog, {
         localVue,
         propsData: props,
@@ -193,6 +200,43 @@ describe("FilesDialog, file mode", () => {
         const rootNode = utils.getRenderedDirectory(rootId);
         expect(rootNode._rowVariant).toBe(selectionStates.selected);
     });
+
+    it("should show ftp helper only in ftp directory", async () => {
+        // open some other directory than ftp
+        await utils.open_root_folder();
+        // check that ftp helper is not visible
+        expect(wrapper.vm.showFTPHelper).toBe(false);
+        expect(wrapper.find("#helper").exists()).toBe(false);
+        // back to root folder
+        await utils.navigateBack();
+
+        // open ftp directory
+        await utils.openDirectory(ftpId);
+        // check that ftp helper is visible
+        expect(wrapper.vm.showFTPHelper).toBe(true);
+        expect(wrapper.find("#helper").exists()).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should show loading error and can return back", async () => {
+        expect(wrapper.vm.errorMessage).toBeNull();
+
+        // open directory with error
+        await utils.openDirectory("empty-dir");
+        // assert that error message is set and showed
+        expect(wrapper.vm.errorMessage).toBe(someErrorText);
+        expect(wrapper.html()).toContain(someErrorText);
+
+        // assert that OK button is disabled
+        expect(wrapper.vm.hasValue).toBe(false);
+
+        // back to the root folder
+        await wrapper.find("#back-btn").trigger("click");
+        await flushPromises();
+        expect(wrapper.vm.items.length).toBe(rootResponse.length);
+
+        // assert that OK button is disabled
+        expect(wrapper.vm.hasValue).toBe(false);
+    });
 });
 
 describe("FilesDialog, directory mode", () => {
@@ -238,6 +282,27 @@ describe("FilesDialog, directory mode", () => {
         //should close modal
         expect(wrapper.vm.modalShow).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    it("should show loading error and can return back", async () => {
+        expect(wrapper.vm.errorMessage).toBeNull();
+
+        // open directory with error
+        await utils.openDirectory("empty-dir");
+        // assert that error message is set and showed
+        expect(wrapper.vm.errorMessage).toBe(someErrorText);
+        expect(wrapper.html()).toContain(someErrorText);
+
+        // assert that OK button is disabled
+        expect(wrapper.vm.hasValue).toBe(false);
+
+        // back to the root folder
+        await wrapper.find("#back-btn").trigger("click");
+        await flushPromises();
+        expect(wrapper.vm.items.length).toBe(rootResponse.length);
+
+        // assert that OK button is disabled
+        expect(wrapper.vm.hasValue).toBe(false);
+    });
 });
 
 /** Util methods **/
diff --git a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.vue b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.vue
index f55a3cf275a..b0dd3fb4832 100644
--- a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/FilesDialog.vue
@@ -3,10 +3,24 @@
         :error-message="errorMessage"
         :options-show="optionsShow"
         :modal-show="modalShow"
-        :hide-modal="() => (modalShow = false)">
+        :hide-modal="() => (modalShow = false)"
+        :back-func="load"
+        :undo-show="undoShow">
         <template v-slot:search>
             <data-dialog-search v-model="filter" />
         </template>
+        <template v-slot:helper>
+            <b-alert v-if="showFTPHelper" id="helper" variant="info" show>
+                This Galaxy server allows you to upload files via FTP. To upload some files, log in to the FTP server at
+                <strong>{{ ftpUploadSite }}</strong> using your Galaxy credentials. For help visit the
+                <a href="https://galaxyproject.org/ftp-upload/" target="_blank">tutorial</a>.
+                <span v-if="oidcEnabled"
+                    ><br />If you are signed-in to Galaxy using a third-party identity and you
+                    <strong>do not have a Galaxy password</strong> please use the reset password option in the login
+                    form with your email to create a password for your account.</span
+                >
+            </b-alert>
+        </template>
         <template v-slot:options>
             <data-dialog-table
                 v-if="optionsShow"
@@ -43,6 +57,7 @@
 
 <script>
 import Vue from "vue";
+import { getGalaxyInstance } from "../../app";
 import SelectionDialogMixin from "components/SelectionDialog/SelectionDialogMixin";
 import { selectionStates } from "components/SelectionDialog/selectionStates";
 import { UrlTracker } from "components/DataDialog/utilities";
@@ -89,7 +104,10 @@ export default {
             showDetails: true,
             isBusy: false,
             currentDirectory: undefined,
+            showFTPHelper: false,
             selectAllIcon: selectionStates.unselected,
+            ftpUploadSite: getGalaxyInstance()?.config?.ftp_upload_site,
+            oidcEnabled: getGalaxyInstance()?.config?.enable_oidc,
         };
     },
     created: function () {
@@ -258,10 +276,12 @@ export default {
         /** Performs server request to retrieve data records **/
         load: function (record) {
             this.currentDirectory = this.urlTracker.getUrl(record);
+            this.showFTPHelper = record?.url === "gxftp://";
             this.filter = null;
             this.optionsShow = false;
             this.undoShow = !this.urlTracker.atRoot();
-            if (this.urlTracker.atRoot()) {
+            if (this.urlTracker.atRoot() || this.errorMessage) {
+                this.errorMessage = null;
                 this.services
                     .getFileSources()
                     .then((items) => {
diff --git a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/testingData.js b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/testingData.js
index 658fb809a0e..89ff73c9292 100644
--- a/client/src/components/FilesDialog/testingData.js
+++ b/client/src/components/FilesDialog/testingData.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+export const ftpId = "_ftp";
 export const rootId = "pdb-gzip";
 export const directoryId = "gxfiles://pdb-gzip/directory1";
 export const subDirectoryId = "gxfiles://pdb-gzip/directory1/subdirectory1";
@@ -24,6 +25,16 @@ export const rootResponse = [
         requires_roles: null,
         requires_groups: null,
     },
+    {
+        id: "empty-dir",
+        type: "posix",
+        uri_root: "gxfiles://empty-dir",
+        label: "Empty Directory",
+        doc: "Empty Directory",
+        writable: true,
+        requires_roles: null,
+        requires_groups: null,
+    },
 ];
 
 export const pdbResponse = [
@@ -172,3 +183,5 @@ export const subsubdirectoryResponse = [
         path: "directory1/subdirectory1/subsubdirectory",
     },
 ];
+
+export const someErrorText = "some error text";
diff --git a/client/src/components/SelectionDialog/SelectionDialog.vue b/client/src/components/SelectionDialog/SelectionDialog.vue
index 5227e1d4ad4..6acda0d7e73 100644
--- a/client/src/components/SelectionDialog/SelectionDialog.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/SelectionDialog/SelectionDialog.vue
@@ -1,24 +1,31 @@
 <template>
-    <b-modal
-        modal-class="selection-dialog-modal"
-        v-if="modalShow"
-        visible
-        ok-only
-        ok-title="Close"
-        :static="modalStatic"
-        @hide="hideModal">
+    <b-modal modal-class="selection-dialog-modal" v-if="modalShow" visible :static="modalStatic" @hide="hideModal">
         <template v-slot:modal-header>
             <slot name="search"> </slot>
         </template>
+        <slot name="helper"> </slot>
         <b-alert v-if="errorMessage" variant="danger" show v-html="errorMessage" />
         <div v-else>
             <slot name="options" v-if="optionsShow"> </slot>
             <div v-else><span class="fa fa-spinner fa-spin" /> <span>Please wait...</span></div>
         </div>
-        <template v-if="!errorMessage" v-slot:modal-footer>
+        <template v-slot:modal-footer>
             <div class="w-100">
-                <slot name="buttons"> </slot>
-                <b-btn size="sm" class="float-right selection-dialog-modal-cancel" @click="hideModal"> Cancel </b-btn>
+                <div v-if="!errorMessage">
+                    <slot name="buttons"> </slot>
+                    <b-btn size="sm" class="float-right selection-dialog-modal-cancel" @click="hideModal">
+                        Cancel
+                    </b-btn>
+                </div>
+                <div v-else>
+                    <b-btn id="back-btn" size="sm" class="float-left" v-if="undoShow" @click="backFunc">
+                        <font-awesome-icon :icon="['fas', 'caret-left']" />
+                        Back
+                    </b-btn>
+                    <b-btn size="sm" class="float-right" variant="primary" id="close-btn" @click="hideModal">
+                        Close
+                    </b-btn>
+                </div>
             </div>
         </template>
     </b-modal>
@@ -27,6 +34,7 @@
 <script>
 import Vue from "vue";
 import BootstrapVue from "bootstrap-vue";
+import { FontAwesomeIcon } from "@fortawesome/vue-fontawesome";
 
 Vue.use(BootstrapVue);
 
@@ -56,6 +64,18 @@ export default {
             type: Function,
             required: true,
         },
+        backFunc: {
+            type: Function,
+            required: false,
+            default: () => {},
+        },
+        undoShow: {
+            type: Boolean,
+            required: false,
+        },
+    },
+    components: {
+        FontAwesomeIcon,
     },
 };
 </script>