diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SMB.php b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SMB.php
index ef6ecb6cc7..1b2e12c311 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SMB.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SMB.php
@@ -556,7 +556,13 @@ class SMB extends Common implements INotifyStorage {
 	}
 
 	public function getMetaData($path) {
-		$fileInfo = $this->getFileInfo($path);
+		try {
+			$fileInfo = $this->getFileInfo($path);
+		} catch (NotFoundException $e) {
+			return null;
+		} catch (ForbiddenException $e) {
+			return null;
+		}
 		if (!$fileInfo) {
 			return null;
 		}
diff --git a/apps/files_sharing/lib/External/Scanner.php b/apps/files_sharing/lib/External/Scanner.php
index 0051a1b76b..b73d7e874a 100644
--- a/apps/files_sharing/lib/External/Scanner.php
+++ b/apps/files_sharing/lib/External/Scanner.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class Scanner extends \OC\Files\Cache\Scanner {
 	 * @param int $parentId
 	 * @param array | null $cacheData existing data in the cache for the file to be scanned
 	 * @param bool $lock set to false to disable getting an additional read lock during scanning
-	 * @return array an array of metadata of the scanned file
+	 * @return array | null an array of metadata of the scanned file
 	 */
 	public function scanFile($file, $reuseExisting = 0, $parentId = -1, $cacheData = null, $lock = true, $data = null) {
 		try {
diff --git a/apps/files_sharing/lib/Scanner.php b/apps/files_sharing/lib/Scanner.php
index 36a412800e..95b599fe1f 100644
--- a/apps/files_sharing/lib/Scanner.php
+++ b/apps/files_sharing/lib/Scanner.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Scanner extends \OC\Files\Cache\Scanner {
 	 *
 	 * @param string $path path of the file for which to retrieve metadata
 	 *
-	 * @return array an array of metadata of the file
+	 * @return array|null an array of metadata of the file
 	 */
 	public function getData($path) {
 		$data = parent::getData($path);
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Cache/Scanner.php b/lib/private/Files/Cache/Scanner.php
index f895948574..5481e52bf3 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Cache/Scanner.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Cache/Scanner.php
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class Scanner extends BasicEmitter implements IScanner {
 	 * *
 	 *
 	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array an array of metadata of the file
+	 * @return array|null an array of metadata of the file
 	 */
 	protected function getData($path) {
 		$data = $this->storage->getMetaData($path);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class Scanner extends BasicEmitter implements IScanner {
 	 * @param array|null|false $cacheData existing data in the cache for the file to be scanned
 	 * @param bool $lock set to false to disable getting an additional read lock during scanning
 	 * @param null $data the metadata for the file, as returned by the storage
-	 * @return array an array of metadata of the scanned file
+	 * @return array|null an array of metadata of the scanned file
 	 * @throws \OCP\Lock\LockedException
 	 */
 	public function scanFile($file, $reuseExisting = 0, $parentId = -1, $cacheData = null, $lock = true, $data = null) {
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ class Scanner extends BasicEmitter implements IScanner {
 	 * @param bool $recursive
 	 * @param int $reuse
 	 * @param bool $lock set to false to disable getting an additional read lock during scanning
-	 * @return array an array of the meta data of the scanned file or folder
+	 * @return array|null an array of the meta data of the scanned file or folder
 	 */
 	public function scan($path, $recursive = self::SCAN_RECURSIVE, $reuse = -1, $lock = true) {
 		if ($reuse === -1) {
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Storage.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Storage.php
index 56d997ab97..73793aa31f 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Storage.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Storage.php
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ interface Storage extends \OCP\Files\Storage {
 
 	/**
 	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array
+	 * @return array|null
 	 */
 	public function getMetaData($path);
 
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encoding.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encoding.php
index a2ef1780d6..7ba2f06a5b 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encoding.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encoding.php
@@ -528,10 +528,6 @@ class Encoding extends Wrapper {
 		return $result;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array
-	 */
 	public function getMetaData($path) {
 		return $this->storage->getMetaData($this->findPathToUse($path));
 	}
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encryption.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encryption.php
index 3a97764fbb..d6143dccfb 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encryption.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Encryption.php
@@ -190,10 +190,6 @@ class Encryption extends Wrapper {
 		return $data;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array
-	 */
 	public function getMetaData($path) {
 		$data = $this->storage->getMetaData($path);
 		if (is_null($data)) {
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Jail.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Jail.php
index 449a238096..34d186ab43 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Jail.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Jail.php
@@ -438,10 +438,6 @@ class Jail extends Wrapper {
 		return $this->getWrapperStorage()->getETag($this->getUnjailedPath($path));
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array
-	 */
 	public function getMetaData($path) {
 		return $this->getWrapperStorage()->getMetaData($this->getUnjailedPath($path));
 	}
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Wrapper.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Wrapper.php
index 4584bebe07..b88931a1c3 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Wrapper.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Wrapper/Wrapper.php
@@ -575,10 +575,6 @@ class Wrapper implements \OC\Files\Storage\Storage, ILockingStorage, IWriteStrea
 		return $this->getWrapperStorage()->moveFromStorage($sourceStorage, $sourceInternalPath, $targetInternalPath);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return array
-	 */
 	public function getMetaData($path) {
 		return $this->getWrapperStorage()->getMetaData($path);
 	}
diff --git a/lib/public/Files/Cache/IScanner.php b/lib/public/Files/Cache/IScanner.php
index 3b00fa2af1..24281e2903 100644
--- a/lib/public/Files/Cache/IScanner.php
+++ b/lib/public/Files/Cache/IScanner.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ interface IScanner {
 	 * @param int $parentId
 	 * @param array | null $cacheData existing data in the cache for the file to be scanned
 	 * @param bool $lock set to false to disable getting an additional read lock during scanning
-	 * @return array an array of metadata of the scanned file
+	 * @return array | null an array of metadata of the scanned file
 	 * @throws \OC\ServerNotAvailableException
 	 * @throws \OCP\Lock\LockedException
 	 * @since 9.0.0
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ interface IScanner {
 	 * @param bool $recursive
 	 * @param int $reuse
 	 * @param bool $lock set to false to disable getting an additional read lock during scanning
-	 * @return array an array of the meta data of the scanned file or folder
+	 * @return array | null an array of the meta data of the scanned file or folder
 	 * @since 9.0.0
 	 */
 	public function scan($path, $recursive = self::SCAN_RECURSIVE, $reuse = -1, $lock = true);