diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-git-gateway/src/implementation.js b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-git-gateway/src/implementation.js
index 7e3dfe58..defebdc5 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-git-gateway/src/implementation.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-git-gateway/src/implementation.js
@@ -256,7 +256,14 @@ export default class GitGateway {
       .readFile('.gitattributes')
       .then(getLargeMediaPatternsFromGitAttributesFile)
       .then(patterns => ({ patterns }))
-      .catch(err => (err.message.includes('404') ? [] : { err }));
+      .catch(err => {
+        if (err.message.includes('404')) {
+          console.log('This 404 was expected and handled appropriately.');
+          return [];
+        } else {
+          return { err };
+        }
+      });
 
     return Promise.all([netlifyLargeMediaEnabledPromise, lfsPatternsPromise]).then(
       ([{ enabled: maybeEnabled }, { patterns, err: patternsErr }]) => {
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/API.js b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/API.js
index a4380ee4..a62de887 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/API.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/API.js
@@ -14,7 +14,14 @@ import {
 
 const CMS_BRANCH_PREFIX = 'cms';
 
-const replace404WithEmptyArray = err => (err && err.status === 404 ? [] : Promise.reject(err));
+const replace404WithEmptyArray = err => {
+  if (err && err.status === 404) {
+    console.log('This 404 was expected and handled appropriately.');
+    return [];
+  } else {
+    return Promise.reject(err);
+  }
+};
 
 export default class API {
   constructor(config) {
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/implementation.js b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/implementation.js
index b44b09f2..cc042429 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/implementation.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-backend-github/src/implementation.js
@@ -107,7 +107,14 @@ export default class GitHub {
         headers: { Authorization: `token ${token}` },
       })
         .then(() => true)
-        .catch(err => (err && err.status === 404 ? false : Promise.reject(err)));
+        .catch(err => {
+          if (err && err.status === 404) {
+            console.log('This 404 was expected and handled appropriately.');
+            return false;
+          } else {
+            return Promise.reject(err);
+          }
+        });
       // wait between polls
       if (!repoExists) {
         await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, pollDelay));
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/actions/mediaLibrary.js b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/actions/mediaLibrary.js
index 95a00559..f1671842 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/actions/mediaLibrary.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/actions/mediaLibrary.js
@@ -148,7 +148,14 @@ export function loadMedia(opts = {}) {
             .catch(
               error =>
                 console.error(error) ||
-                dispatch(error.status === 404 ? mediaLoaded() : mediaLoadFailed()),
+                dispatch(() => {
+                  if (error.status === 404) {
+                    console.log('This 404 was expected and handled appropriately.');
+                    return mediaLoaded();
+                  } else {
+                    return mediaLoadFailed();
+                  }
+                }),
             ),
         ),
       );