diff --git a/packages/lib/Synchronizer.ts b/packages/lib/Synchronizer.ts
index 0f929fd0e..c4e314e3e 100644
--- a/packages/lib/Synchronizer.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/Synchronizer.ts
@@ -479,6 +479,31 @@ export default class Synchronizer {
 				void this.cancel();
 			});
 
+			// ========================================================================
+			// 2. DELETE_REMOTE
+			// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+			// Delete the remote items that have been deleted locally.
+			// ========================================================================
+
+			if (syncSteps.indexOf('delete_remote') >= 0) {
+				const deletedItems = await BaseItem.deletedItems(syncTargetId);
+				for (let i = 0; i < deletedItems.length; i++) {
+					if (this.cancelling()) break;
+
+					const item = deletedItems[i];
+					const path = BaseItem.systemPath(item.item_id);
+					this.logSyncOperation('deleteRemote', null, { id: item.item_id }, 'local has been deleted');
+					await this.apiCall('delete', path);
+
+					if (item.item_type === BaseModel.TYPE_RESOURCE) {
+						const remoteContentPath = resourceRemotePath(item.item_id);
+						await this.apiCall('delete', remoteContentPath);
+					}
+
+					await BaseItem.remoteDeletedItem(syncTargetId, item.item_id);
+				}
+			} // DELETE_REMOTE STEP
+
 			// ========================================================================
 			// 1. UPLOAD
 			// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -763,31 +788,6 @@ export default class Synchronizer {
 				}
 			} // UPLOAD STEP
 
-			// ========================================================================
-			// 2. DELETE_REMOTE
-			// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-			// Delete the remote items that have been deleted locally.
-			// ========================================================================
-
-			if (syncSteps.indexOf('delete_remote') >= 0) {
-				const deletedItems = await BaseItem.deletedItems(syncTargetId);
-				for (let i = 0; i < deletedItems.length; i++) {
-					if (this.cancelling()) break;
-
-					const item = deletedItems[i];
-					const path = BaseItem.systemPath(item.item_id);
-					this.logSyncOperation('deleteRemote', null, { id: item.item_id }, 'local has been deleted');
-					await this.apiCall('delete', path);
-
-					if (item.item_type === BaseModel.TYPE_RESOURCE) {
-						const remoteContentPath = resourceRemotePath(item.item_id);
-						await this.apiCall('delete', remoteContentPath);
-					}
-
-					await BaseItem.remoteDeletedItem(syncTargetId, item.item_id);
-				}
-			} // DELETE_REMOTE STEP
-
 			// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 			// 3. DELTA
 			// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/packages/server/src/models/UserModel.ts b/packages/server/src/models/UserModel.ts
index 921ed429d..c8e1b575f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/models/UserModel.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/models/UserModel.ts
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ export default class UserModel extends BaseModel<User> {
 	}
 
 	public async checkMaxItemSizeLimit(user: User, buffer: Buffer, item: Item, joplinItem: any) {
-		// If the item is encrypted, we apply a multipler because encrypted
+		// If the item is encrypted, we apply a multiplier because encrypted
 		// items can be much larger (seems to be up to twice the size but for
 		// safety let's go with 2.2).
 
@@ -198,14 +198,20 @@ export default class UserModel extends BaseModel<User> {
 			));
 		}
 
-		// Also apply a multiplier to take into account E2EE overhead
-		const maxTotalItemSize = getMaxTotalItemSize(user) * 1.5;
-		if (maxTotalItemSize && user.total_item_size + itemSize >= maxTotalItemSize) {
-			throw new ErrorPayloadTooLarge(_('Cannot save %s "%s" because it would go over the total allowed size (%s) for this account',
-				isNote ? _('note') : _('attachment'),
-				itemTitle ? itemTitle : item.name,
-				formatBytes(maxTotalItemSize)
-			));
+		// We allow lock files to go through so that sync can happen, which in
+		// turns allow user to fix oversized account by deleting items.
+		const isWhiteListed = itemSize < 200 && item.name.startsWith('locks/');
+
+		if (!isWhiteListed) {
+			// Also apply a multiplier to take into account E2EE overhead
+			const maxTotalItemSize = getMaxTotalItemSize(user) * 1.5;
+			if (maxTotalItemSize && user.total_item_size + itemSize >= maxTotalItemSize) {
+				throw new ErrorPayloadTooLarge(_('Cannot save %s "%s" because it would go over the total allowed size (%s) for this account',
+					isNote ? _('note') : _('attachment'),
+					itemTitle ? itemTitle : item.name,
+					formatBytes(maxTotalItemSize)
+				));
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/routes/api/items.ts b/packages/server/src/routes/api/items.ts
index 5ac8e945f..04a1d231c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/routes/api/items.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/routes/api/items.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import Router from '../../utils/Router';
 import { RouteType } from '../../utils/types';
 import { AppContext } from '../../utils/types';
 import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
-import { ErrorForbidden, ErrorMethodNotAllowed, ErrorNotFound, ErrorPayloadTooLarge } from '../../utils/errors';
+import { ErrorForbidden, ErrorMethodNotAllowed, ErrorNotFound, ErrorPayloadTooLarge, errorToPlainObject } from '../../utils/errors';
 import ItemModel, { ItemSaveOption, SaveFromRawContentItem } from '../../models/ItemModel';
 import { requestDeltaPagination, requestPagination } from '../../models/utils/pagination';
 import { AclAction } from '../../models/BaseModel';
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ export async function putItemContents(path: SubPath, ctx: AppContext, isBatch: b
 	const output = await ctx.joplin.models.item().saveFromRawContent(ctx.joplin.owner, items, saveOptions);
 	for (const [name] of Object.entries(output)) {
 		if (output[name].item) output[name].item = ctx.joplin.models.item().toApiOutput(output[name].item) as Item;
+		if (output[name].error) output[name].error = errorToPlainObject(output[name].error);
 	}
+
 	return output;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utils/errors.ts b/packages/server/src/utils/errors.ts
index 0124ee693..5b7cd7e53 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utils/errors.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utils/errors.ts
@@ -114,3 +114,17 @@ export function errorToString(error: Error): string {
 	if (error.stack) msg.push(error.stack);
 	return msg.join(': ');
 }
+
+interface PlainObjectError {
+	httpCode?: number;
+	message?: string;
+	code?: string;
+}
+
+export function errorToPlainObject(error: any): PlainObjectError {
+	const output: PlainObjectError = {};
+	if ('httpCode' in error) output.httpCode = error.httpCode;
+	if ('code' in error) output.code = error.code;
+	if ('message' in error) output.message = error.message;
+	return output;
+}