diff --git a/packages/core/src/storages/disk-storage.ts b/packages/core/src/storages/disk-storage.ts
index 7f6ae298..a6bc1417 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/storages/disk-storage.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/storages/disk-storage.ts
@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ export class DiskStorage extends BaseStorage<DiskFile> {
       const metaConfig = { ...config, ...config.metaStorageConfig };
       this.meta = new LocalMetaStorage(metaConfig);
     }
-    this.accessCheck().catch(err => {
-      this.isReady = false;
-      this.logger.error('[error]: Could not write to directory: %O', err);
-    });
+    this.isReady = false;
+    this.accessCheck()
+      .then(() => (this.isReady = true))
+      .catch(err => {
+        this.logger.error('Storage access check failed: %O', err);
+      });
   }
 
   normalizeError(err: Error): HttpError {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/storages/local-meta-storage.ts b/packages/core/src/storages/local-meta-storage.ts
index 90236602..10d11045 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/storages/local-meta-storage.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/storages/local-meta-storage.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export class LocalMetaStorage<T extends File = File> extends MetaStorage<T> {
     super(config);
     this.directory = (config?.directory || join(tmpdir(), 'uploadx_meta')).replace(/\\/g, '/');
     this.accessCheck().catch(err => {
-      this.logger.error('[error]: Could not write to directory: %O', err);
+      this.logger.error('Metadata storage access check failed: %O', err);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/fs.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/fs.ts
index 72673022..0f0afdda 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/fs.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/fs.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ export async function ensureFile(path: string, overwrite = false): Promise<numbe
 }
 
 export async function accessCheck(dir: string): Promise<void> {
-  await fsp.mkdir(dir, { recursive: true });
+  try {
+    await fsp.mkdir(dir, { recursive: true });
+  } catch {
+    throw new Error(`Directory is not accessible: ${dir}`);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/gcs/src/gcs-storage.ts b/packages/gcs/src/gcs-storage.ts
index a151f573..e9006958 100644
--- a/packages/gcs/src/gcs-storage.ts
+++ b/packages/gcs/src/gcs-storage.ts
@@ -122,10 +122,10 @@ export class GCStorage extends BaseStorage<GCSFile> {
     config.scopes ||= GCSConfig.authScopes;
     this.authClient = new GoogleAuth(config);
 
-    this.accessCheck().catch((err: ClientError) => {
-      this.isReady = false;
-      this.logger.error('Unable to open bucket: %O', err);
-    });
+    this.isReady = false;
+    this.accessCheck()
+      .then(() => (this.isReady = true))
+      .catch(err => this.logger.error('Storage access check failed: %O', err));
   }
 
   normalizeError(error: ClientError): HttpError {
diff --git a/packages/s3/src/s3-storage.ts b/packages/s3/src/s3-storage.ts
index 88c719d1..535b5c53 100644
--- a/packages/s3/src/s3-storage.ts
+++ b/packages/s3/src/s3-storage.ts
@@ -146,10 +146,10 @@ export class S3Storage extends BaseStorage<S3File> {
           ? new LocalMetaStorage(metaConfig)
           : new S3MetaStorage(metaConfig);
     }
-    this.accessCheck().catch((err: AWSError) => {
-      this.isReady = false;
-      this.logger.error('Unable to open bucket: %O', err);
-    });
+    this.isReady = false;
+    this.accessCheck()
+      .then(() => (this.isReady = true))
+      .catch(err => this.logger.error('Storage access check failed: %O', err));
   }
 
   normalizeError(error: AWSError): HttpError {