diff --git a/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb b/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
index 9eca85cf..b8bc9f32 100644
--- a/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/exercises_controller.rb
@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ class ExercisesController < ApplicationController
     user = user_from_api_key
     return render json: {}, status: 401 if user.nil?
 
-    exercise = nil
     ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
       exercise = ::ProformaService::Import.call(zip: tempfile, user: user)
       exercise.save!
@@ -188,7 +187,8 @@ class ExercisesController < ApplicationController
     render json: {}, status: 401
   rescue Proforma::ProformaError
     render json: t('exercises.import_codeharbor.import_errors.invalid'), status: 400
-  rescue StandardError
+  rescue StandardError => e
+    Raven.capture_exception(e)
     render json: t('exercises.import_codeharbor.import_errors.internal_error'), status: 500
   end
 
diff --git a/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb b/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb
index 7f49fa40..fe35eab2 100644
--- a/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb
+++ b/app/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise.rb
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ module ProformaService
     end
 
     def codeocean_file_from_task_file(file)
+      extension = File.extname(file.filename)
       codeocean_file = CodeOcean::File.new(
         context: @exercise,
-        file_type: FileType.find_by(file_extension: File.extname(file.filename)),
+        file_type: file_type(extension),
         hidden: file.visible == 'no',
         name: File.basename(file.filename, '.*'),
         read_only: file.usage_by_lms != 'edit',
@@ -63,5 +64,14 @@ module ProformaService
       end
       codeocean_file
     end
+
+    def file_type(extension)
+      FileType.find_or_create_by(file_extension: extension) do |file_type|
+        file_type.name = extension[1..]
+        file_type.user = @user
+        file_type.indent_size = 4
+        file_type.editor_mode = 'ace/mode/plain_text'
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 78464135..77d2b24f 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ en:
     import_codeharbor:
       import_errors:
         invalid: Invalid exercise
-        internal_error: An internal error occurred on Codeharbor while importing the exercise.
+        internal_error: An internal error occurred on CodeOcean while importing the exercise.
     export_codeharbor:
       label: Export to Codeharbor
       dialogtitle: Export to Codeharbor
diff --git a/spec/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise_spec.rb b/spec/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise_spec.rb
index 7cd93af8..a9f4f0e1 100644
--- a/spec/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/proforma_service/convert_task_to_exercise_spec.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe ProformaService::ConvertTaskToExercise do
         Proforma::TaskFile.new(
           id: 'id',
           content: content,
-          filename: "#{path}filename.txt",
+          filename: filename,
           used_by_grader: 'used_by_grader',
           visible: 'yes',
           usage_by_lms: usage_by_lms,
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ describe ProformaService::ConvertTaskToExercise do
           mimetype: mimetype
         )
       end
+      let(:filename) { "#{path}filename.txt" }
       let(:usage_by_lms) { 'display' }
       let(:mimetype) { 'mimetype' }
       let(:binary) { false }
@@ -148,6 +149,18 @@ describe ProformaService::ConvertTaskToExercise do
           expect(convert_to_exercise_service.files).to be_empty
         end
       end
+
+      context 'when file has an unkown file_type' do
+        let(:filename) { 'unknown_file_type.asdf' }
+
+        it 'creates a new Exercise on save' do
+          expect { convert_to_exercise_service.save! }.to change(Exercise, :count).by(1)
+        end
+
+        it 'creates the missing FileType on save' do
+          expect { convert_to_exercise_service.save! }.to change(FileType, :count).by(1)
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context 'when task has a model-solution' do