diff --git a/proto/backend.proto b/proto/backend.proto
index 331fa5d83..618db0522 100644
--- a/proto/backend.proto
+++ b/proto/backend.proto
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ service BackendService {
 
     rpc SyncMedia (SyncAuth) returns (Empty);
     rpc AbortSync (Empty) returns (Empty);
+    rpc AbortMediaSync (Empty) returns (Empty);
     rpc BeforeUpload (Empty) returns (Empty);
     rpc SyncLogin (SyncLoginIn) returns (SyncAuth);
     rpc SyncStatus (SyncAuth) returns (SyncCollectionOut);
diff --git a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
index 3b62e4330..f01aec5ec 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/rsbackend.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class ProgressKind(enum.Enum):
 @dataclass
 class Progress:
     kind: ProgressKind
-    val: Union[MediaSyncProgress, pb.FullSyncProgress, str]
+    val: Union[MediaSyncProgress, pb.FullSyncProgress, NormalSyncProgress, str]
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_proto(proto: pb.Progress) -> Progress:
diff --git a/qt/aqt/mediasync.py b/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
index ac2acf4d2..4d9ca3c1a 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/mediasync.py
@@ -109,9 +109,8 @@ class MediaSyncer:
         if not self.is_syncing():
             return
         self._log_and_notify(tr(TR.SYNC_MEDIA_ABORTING))
-        # fixme: latter should do the former for us in the future
         self.mw.col.backend.set_wants_abort()
-        self.mw.col.backend.abort_sync()
+        self.mw.col.backend.abort_media_sync()
 
     def is_syncing(self) -> bool:
         return self._syncing
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
index da0b07d1a..82257b593 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ pub struct Backend {
     i18n: I18n,
     server: bool,
     sync_abort: Option<AbortHandle>,
+    media_sync_abort: Option<AbortHandle>,
     progress_state: Arc<Mutex<ProgressState>>,
 }
 
@@ -1013,6 +1014,13 @@ impl BackendService for Backend {
         Ok(().into())
     }
 
+    fn abort_media_sync(&mut self, _input: Empty) -> BackendResult<Empty> {
+        if let Some(handle) = self.media_sync_abort.take() {
+            handle.abort();
+        }
+        Ok(().into())
+    }
+
     fn before_upload(&mut self, _input: Empty) -> BackendResult<Empty> {
         self.with_col(|col| col.before_upload().map(Into::into))
     }
@@ -1142,6 +1150,7 @@ impl Backend {
             i18n,
             server,
             sync_abort: None,
+            media_sync_abort: None,
             progress_state: Arc::new(Mutex::new(ProgressState {
                 want_abort: false,
                 last_progress: None,
@@ -1202,7 +1211,7 @@ impl Backend {
         log: Logger,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         let (abort_handle, abort_reg) = AbortHandle::new_pair();
-        self.sync_abort = Some(abort_handle);
+        self.media_sync_abort = Some(abort_handle);
 
         let mut handler = self.new_progress_handler();
         let progress_fn = move |progress| handler.update(progress, true);
@@ -1218,7 +1227,7 @@ impl Backend {
                 Err(AnkiError::Interrupted)
             }
         };
-        self.sync_abort = None;
+        self.media_sync_abort = None;
         ret
     }
 
@@ -1267,7 +1276,14 @@ impl Backend {
             };
             match result {
                 Ok(sync_result) => sync_result,
-                Err(_) => Err(AnkiError::Interrupted),
+                Err(_) => {
+                    // if the user aborted, we'll need to clean up the transaction
+                    if !check_only {
+                        col.storage.rollback_trx()?;
+                    }
+
+                    Err(AnkiError::Interrupted)
+                }
             }
         });
         self.sync_abort = None;
diff --git a/rspy/src/lib.rs b/rspy/src/lib.rs
index f6cb6e9a0..3a132bde8 100644
--- a/rspy/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rspy/src/lib.rs
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ fn want_release_gil(method: u32) -> bool {
             BackendMethod::OpenCollection => true,
             BackendMethod::CloseCollection => true,
             BackendMethod::AbortSync => true,
+            BackendMethod::AbortMediaSync => true,
             BackendMethod::BeforeUpload => true,
             BackendMethod::TranslateString => false,
             BackendMethod::FormatTimespan => false,