diff --git a/discuss_data/dddatasets/views/prep.py b/discuss_data/dddatasets/views/prep.py
index 65308106e3d637d67a6df93311a2cf768a0e7a60..3bfc6d2ea1296eec1107f344cb1bfe8f6f7935cb 100644
--- a/discuss_data/dddatasets/views/prep.py
+++ b/discuss_data/dddatasets/views/prep.py
@@ -1484,9 +1484,9 @@ def edit_publish_final_publish(request, ds_uuid):
     publisher = Publisher(t, ds)
     # get collection from session
     collection = request.session.get("collection", {})
-    logger.error("[DHREP PUBLISHER] collection: %s", str(collection))
+    logger.debug("[DHREP PUBLISHER] collection: %s", str(collection))
     status = publisher.publish_status(collection)
-    logger.error("[DHREP PUBLISHER] status", status)
+    logger.debug("[DHREP PUBLISHER] status: %s", status)
 
     # an API implementation flaw makes the "processStatus" entry missing sometimes; i suppose this is in the state of QUEUING
     try:
@@ -1523,7 +1523,7 @@ def edit_publish_final_publish(request, ds_uuid):
         request.session.pop("collection")
         publisher.update_dataset(collection, status)
         # also, make DD publication when finished
-        logger.error("[DHREP PUBLISHER] finished, starting ds.publish", status)
+        logger.debug("[DHREP PUBLISHER] finished, starting ds.publish: %s", status)
         ds.publish(request.user)
         messages.success(
             request,
@@ -1534,7 +1534,7 @@ def edit_publish_final_publish(request, ds_uuid):
 
     if process_status == "FAILED":
         response["X-IC-CancelPolling"] = "true"
-        logger.error("[DHREP PUBLISHER] FAILED", status)
+        logger.error("[DHREP PUBLISHER] FAILED: %s", status)
         messages.error(
             request, _("An Error occured. The dataset has not been published.")
         )
@@ -1648,7 +1648,7 @@ def edit_publish_request(request, ds_uuid):
 
     if request.method == "POST":
         # run checks
-        logger.error("POST publish request")
+        logger.debug("POST publish request")
         check_error, check_list = ds.perform_checks()
         logger.error(check_error)
         if check_error:
@@ -1657,9 +1657,9 @@ def edit_publish_request(request, ds_uuid):
             logger.error(error_string)
             messages.error(request, error_string)
         else:
-            logger.error("start request_publication")
+            logger.debug("start request_publication")
             publish_message = ds.request_publication(request.user)
-            logger.error("end request_publication")
+            logger.debug("end request_publication")
             return edit_versions(request, ds_uuid)
     else:
         publish_message = None
diff --git a/discuss_data/dhrep/publisher.py b/discuss_data/dhrep/publisher.py
index 4becda62be11122a28bc9a410cd2aad866e6e264..cac58aa8a8bdb1f1285985f499d64d689a56f64f 100644
--- a/discuss_data/dhrep/publisher.py
+++ b/discuss_data/dhrep/publisher.py
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ class Publisher:
         validator = URLValidator(["https"])
         try:
             validator(settings.PUBLISH_URL)
-        except ValidationError:
-            raise ImproperlyConfigured
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured from e
 
         publish_url = settings.PUBLISH_URL
         if not publish_url.endswith("/"):
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class Publisher:
             "collection.ttl",
             {"storage_id": storage_id, "dataset": dataset, "datafiles": datafiles},
         )
-        logger.error("[COLLECTION_RDF]", turtle)
+        logger.debug("[COLLECTION_RDF]: %s", turtle)
 
         return turtle
 
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ class Publisher:
             },
         )
 
-        logger.error("status-text: %s", response.text)
-        logger.error("status-status: %s", response.status_code)
+        logger.debug("status-text: %s", response.text)
+        logger.debug("status-status: %s", response.status_code)
 
         if response.status_code != 200:
             raise PublisherError(
@@ -287,11 +287,11 @@ class Publisher:
         for file in files.keys():
             try:
                 dariah_storage.get(self.token, file)
-                # logger.debug("DARIAH UPLOAD STATUS: {} finished".format(file))
+                logger.debug("DARIAH UPLOAD STATUS: %s finished", format(file))
             except StorageException as e:
                 status[file] = False
                 # do not show complete traceback in debug logging
-                logger.error("[[DARIAH UPLOAD STATUS]]: {}".format(e.args[0]))
+                logger.debug("[[DARIAH UPLOAD STATUS]]: %s ", format(e.args[0]))
             else:
                 status[file] = True
 
diff --git a/discuss_data/dhrep/services.py b/discuss_data/dhrep/services.py
index 934de76265bd6878838c09032627277f8342a9ff..fd396b9d25b59edb82b79fd2ae7da83751442f56 100644
--- a/discuss_data/dhrep/services.py
+++ b/discuss_data/dhrep/services.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def update(token: Token, storage_id: str, file, content_type=None) -> None:
         content = file  # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/ref/models/fields/#django.db.models.fields.files.FieldFile
         content_type = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
 
-    with content.open() as stream:
+    with content.open(mode="rb") as stream:
         response = requests.put(
             settings.STORAGE_URL + storage_id,
             headers={
diff --git a/discuss_data/dhrep/storage.py b/discuss_data/dhrep/storage.py
index 5ab118cbc94a86845931ae941ca147d11bd9ffb2..0418a6d1e71efc744248b3abaaa362bca38cb4a9 100644
--- a/discuss_data/dhrep/storage.py
+++ b/discuss_data/dhrep/storage.py
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ class Storage:
         validator = URLValidator(["https"])
         try:
             validator(settings.STORAGE_URL)
-        except ValidationError:
-            raise ImproperlyConfigured
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured from e
 
         storage_url = settings.STORAGE_URL
         if not storage_url.endswith("/"):
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ class Storage:
             raise StorageException(
                 "Not yet uploaded "
                 + storage_id
-                + ": "
-                + response.text
-                + " - "
+                + ". "
                 + str(response.status_code)
+                + ": "
+                + response.reason
             )
         return response
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Storage:
         return storage_id
 
     def update(self, token: Token, storage_id: str, content) -> None:
-        """Update an object in dariahstorage
+        """Update an object in dariahstorage (DEPRECATED)
 
         :param token: authentication token
         :type token: Token