diff --git a/src/engine/client/client.cpp b/src/engine/client/client.cpp
index c00621686..b38460754 100644
--- a/src/engine/client/client.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/client/client.cpp
@@ -3466,9 +3466,6 @@ void CClient::SaveReplay(const int Length, const char *pFilename)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		// First we stop the recorder to slice correctly the demo after
-		DemoRecorder(RECORDER_REPLAYS)->Stop(IDemoRecorder::EStopMode::KEEP_FILE);
-
 		char aFilename[IO_MAX_PATH_LENGTH];
 		if(pFilename[0] == '\0')
 		{
@@ -3479,8 +3476,19 @@ void CClient::SaveReplay(const int Length, const char *pFilename)
 		else
 		{
 			str_format(aFilename, sizeof(aFilename), "demos/replays/%s.demo", pFilename);
+			IOHANDLE Handle = m_pStorage->OpenFile(aFilename, IOFLAG_WRITE, IStorage::TYPE_SAVE);
+			if(!Handle)
+			{
+				m_pConsole->Print(IConsole::OUTPUT_LEVEL_STANDARD, "replay", "ERROR: invalid filename. Try a different one!");
+				return;
+			}
+			io_close(Handle);
+			m_pStorage->RemoveFile(aFilename, IStorage::TYPE_SAVE);
 		}
 
+		// Stop the recorder to correctly slice the demo after
+		DemoRecorder(RECORDER_REPLAYS)->Stop(IDemoRecorder::EStopMode::KEEP_FILE);
+
 		// Slice the demo to get only the last cl_replay_length seconds
 		const char *pSrc = m_aDemoRecorder[RECORDER_REPLAYS].CurrentFilename();
 		const int EndTick = GameTick(g_Config.m_ClDummy);