diff --git a/options/locale/locale_de-DE.ini b/options/locale/locale_de-DE.ini
index ccaffac7b2..b44231ddd2 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_de-DE.ini
+++ b/options/locale/locale_de-DE.ini
@@ -1298,6 +1298,7 @@ video_not_supported_in_browser=Dein Browser unterstützt das HTML5-„video“-T
 audio_not_supported_in_browser=Dein Browser unterstützt das HTML5-„audio“-Tag nicht.
 stored_lfs=Gespeichert mit Git LFS
 stored_annex=Gespeichert mit Git Annex
+stored_annex_not_present = hier nicht vorhanden, versuche git annex whereis
 symbolic_link=Softlink
 executable_file=Ausführbare Datei
 commit_graph=Commit-Graph
diff --git a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
index 2d2dcfdd9c..439617cead 100644
--- a/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
+++ b/options/locale/locale_en-US.ini
@@ -1306,6 +1306,7 @@ video_not_supported_in_browser = Your browser does not support the HTML5 "video"
 audio_not_supported_in_browser = Your browser does not support the HTML5 "audio" tag.
 stored_lfs = Stored with Git LFS
 stored_annex = Stored with Git Annex
+stored_annex_not_present = not present here, try using git annex whereis
 symbolic_link = Symbolic link
 executable_file = Executable file
 vendored = Vendored
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/view.go b/routers/web/repo/view.go
index 3ad5746424..dacacad5ff 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/view.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/view.go
@@ -209,12 +209,13 @@ func localizedExtensions(ext, languageCode string) (localizedExts []string) {
 }
 
 type fileInfo struct {
-	isTextFile  bool
-	isLFSFile   bool
-	isAnnexFile bool
-	fileSize    int64
-	lfsMeta     *lfs.Pointer
-	st          typesniffer.SniffedType
+	isTextFile         bool
+	isLFSFile          bool
+	isAnnexFile        bool
+	isAnnexFilePresent bool
+	fileSize           int64
+	lfsMeta            *lfs.Pointer
+	st                 typesniffer.SniffedType
 }
 
 func getFileReader(ctx gocontext.Context, repoID int64, blob *git.Blob) ([]byte, io.ReadCloser, *fileInfo, error) {
@@ -229,11 +230,22 @@ func getFileReader(ctx gocontext.Context, repoID int64, blob *git.Blob) ([]byte,
 
 		annexContent, err := annex.Content(blob)
 		if err != nil {
-			// in the case where annex content is missing, what should happen?
-			// do we render the page with an error message?
-			// actually that's not a bad idea, there's some sort of error message situation
-			// TODO: display an error to the user explaining that their data is missing
-			return nil, nil, nil, err
+			// If annex.Content returns an error it can mean that the blob does not
+			// refer to an annexed file or that it is not present here. Since we already
+			// checked that it is annexed the latter must be the case. So we return the
+			// content of the blob instead and indicate that the file is indeed annexed,
+			// but not present here. The template can then communicate the situation.
+			dataRc, err := blob.DataAsync()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, nil, err
+			}
+
+			buf := make([]byte, 1024)
+			n, _ := util.ReadAtMost(dataRc, buf)
+			buf = buf[:n]
+
+			st := typesniffer.DetectContentType(buf)
+			return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{st.IsText(), false, true, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
 		}
 
 		stat, err := annexContent.Stat()
@@ -247,7 +259,7 @@ func getFileReader(ctx gocontext.Context, repoID int64, blob *git.Blob) ([]byte,
 
 		st := typesniffer.DetectContentType(buf)
 
-		return buf, annexContent, &fileInfo{st.IsText(), false, true, stat.Size(), nil, st}, nil
+		return buf, annexContent, &fileInfo{st.IsText(), false, true, true, stat.Size(), nil, st}, nil
 	}
 
 	dataRc, err := blob.DataAsync()
@@ -264,17 +276,17 @@ func getFileReader(ctx gocontext.Context, repoID int64, blob *git.Blob) ([]byte,
 
 	// FIXME: what happens when README file is an image?
 	if !isTextFile || !setting.LFS.StartServer {
-		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
+		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
 	}
 
 	pointer, _ := lfs.ReadPointerFromBuffer(buf)
 	if !pointer.IsValid() { // fallback to plain file
-		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
+		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
 	}
 
 	meta, err := git_model.GetLFSMetaObjectByOid(ctx, repoID, pointer.Oid)
 	if err != nil && err != git_model.ErrLFSObjectNotExist { // fallback to plain file
-		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
+		return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{isTextFile, false, false, false, blob.Size(), nil, st}, nil
 	}
 
 	dataRc.Close()
@@ -297,7 +309,7 @@ func getFileReader(ctx gocontext.Context, repoID int64, blob *git.Blob) ([]byte,
 
 	st = typesniffer.DetectContentType(buf)
 
-	return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{st.IsText(), true, false, meta.Size, &meta.Pointer, st}, nil
+	return buf, dataRc, &fileInfo{st.IsText(), true, false, false, meta.Size, &meta.Pointer, st}, nil
 }
 
 func renderReadmeFile(ctx *context.Context, subfolder string, readmeFile *git.TreeEntry) {
@@ -498,6 +510,7 @@ func renderFile(ctx *context.Context, entry *git.TreeEntry) {
 	}
 	ctx.Data["IsLFSFile"] = fInfo.isLFSFile
 	ctx.Data["IsAnnexFile"] = fInfo.isAnnexFile
+	ctx.Data["IsAnnexFilePresent"] = fInfo.isAnnexFilePresent
 	ctx.Data["FileSize"] = fInfo.fileSize
 	ctx.Data["IsTextFile"] = fInfo.isTextFile
 	ctx.Data["IsRepresentableAsText"] = isRepresentableAsText
@@ -1193,6 +1206,15 @@ PostRecentBranchCheck:
 	ctx.Data["TreeNames"] = treeNames
 	ctx.Data["BranchLink"] = branchLink
 	ctx.Data["CodeIndexerDisabled"] = !setting.Indexer.RepoIndexerEnabled
+	isAnnexFile, okAnnexFile := ctx.Data["IsAnnexFile"]
+	isAnnexFilePresent, okAnnexFilePresent := ctx.Data["IsAnnexFilePresent"]
+	if okAnnexFile && okAnnexFilePresent && isAnnexFile.(bool) && !isAnnexFilePresent.(bool) {
+		// If the file to be viewed is annexed but not present then render it normally
+		// (which will show the plain git blob content, i.e. the symlink or pointer target)
+		// but make the status code a 404.
+		ctx.HTML(http.StatusNotFound, tplRepoHome)
+		return
+	}
 	ctx.HTML(http.StatusOK, tplRepoHome)
 }
 
diff --git a/templates/repo/file_info.tmpl b/templates/repo/file_info.tmpl
index 1c1d826071..6cfe2a1586 100644
--- a/templates/repo/file_info.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/file_info.tmpl
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 	{{if .FileSize}}
 		<div class="file-info-entry">
 			{{ctx.Locale.TrSize .FileSize}}{{if .IsLFSFile}} ({{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.stored_lfs"}}){{end}}
-			{{if .IsAnnexFile}} ({{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.stored_annex"}}){{end}}
+			{{if .IsAnnexFile}} ({{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.stored_annex"}}{{if not .IsAnnexFilePresent}} - {{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.stored_annex_not_present"}}{{end}}){{end}}
 		</div>
 	{{end}}
 	{{if .LFSLock}}