diff --git a/backend/pom.xml b/backend/pom.xml
index 9f2157b4..206ae451 100644
--- a/backend/pom.xml
+++ b/backend/pom.xml
@@ -151,6 +151,12 @@
                         <configuration>
                             <mainClass>com.petshop.backend.DevStackApplication</mainClass>
                             <classpathScope>runtime</classpathScope>
+                            <systemProperties>
+                                <systemProperty>
+                                    <key>UPLOAD_BASE_DIR</key>
+                                    <value>${project.basedir}/uploads</value>
+                                </systemProperty>
+                            </systemProperties>
                         </configuration>
                     </execution>
                     <execution>
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/AvatarStorageService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/AvatarStorageService.java
index dff64508..2229c3d4 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/AvatarStorageService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/AvatarStorageService.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.petshop.backend.service;
 
 import com.petshop.backend.entity.User;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.core.io.PathResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ import org.springframework.http.MediaTypeFactory;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 import org.springframework.web.multipart.MultipartFile;
 
+import jakarta.annotation.PostConstruct;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -22,7 +24,15 @@ public class AvatarStorageService {
     private static final String STORED_PREFIX = "/uploads/avatars/";
     private static final String OWNER_ENDPOINT = "/api/v1/auth/me/avatar/file";
 
-    private final Path avatarDirectory = Paths.get("uploads", "avatars").toAbsolutePath().normalize();
+    @Value("${app.upload.base-dir:uploads}")
+    private String uploadBaseDir;
+
+    private Path avatarDirectory;
+
+    @PostConstruct
+    private void init() {
+        avatarDirectory = Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "avatars").toAbsolutePath().normalize();
+    }
 
     public String storeAvatar(MultipartFile file) throws IOException {
         Files.createDirectories(avatarDirectory);
@@ -101,7 +111,7 @@ public class AvatarStorageService {
         }
         String extension = originalFilename.substring(extensionIndex).toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT);
         return switch (extension) {
-            case ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif" -> extension;
+            case ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif", ".webp" -> extension;
             default -> ".jpg";
         };
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/CatalogImageStorageService.java b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/CatalogImageStorageService.java
index 34a92ff0..1068e094 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/CatalogImageStorageService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/com/petshop/backend/service/CatalogImageStorageService.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.petshop.backend.service;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.core.io.PathResource;
 import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
@@ -21,20 +22,31 @@ public class CatalogImageStorageService {
     private static final String PET_PREFIX = "/uploads/pets/";
     private static final String PRODUCT_PREFIX = "/uploads/products/";
 
+    @Value("${app.upload.base-dir:uploads}")
+    private String uploadBaseDir;
+
     public String storePetImage(MultipartFile file) throws IOException {
-        return storeImage(file, Paths.get("uploads", "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX);
+        return storeImage(file, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX);
     }
 
     public String storeProductImage(MultipartFile file) throws IOException {
-        return storeImage(file, Paths.get("uploads", "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX);
+        return storeImage(file, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX);
     }
 
     public Resource loadPetImage(String storedPath) {
-        return new PathResource(resolveStoredPath(storedPath, Paths.get("uploads", "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX));
+        Resource resource = new PathResource(resolveStoredPath(storedPath, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX));
+        if (!resource.exists()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Image file was not found");
+        }
+        return resource;
     }
 
     public Resource loadProductImage(String storedPath) {
-        return new PathResource(resolveStoredPath(storedPath, Paths.get("uploads", "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX));
+        Resource resource = new PathResource(resolveStoredPath(storedPath, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX));
+        if (!resource.exists()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Image file was not found");
+        }
+        return resource;
     }
 
     public MediaType resolveMediaType(Resource resource) {
@@ -42,11 +54,11 @@ public class CatalogImageStorageService {
     }
 
     public void deletePetImage(String storedPath) throws IOException {
-        deleteImage(storedPath, Paths.get("uploads", "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX);
+        deleteImage(storedPath, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "pets").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PET_PREFIX);
     }
 
     public void deleteProductImage(String storedPath) throws IOException {
-        deleteImage(storedPath, Paths.get("uploads", "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX);
+        deleteImage(storedPath, Paths.get(uploadBaseDir, "products").toAbsolutePath().normalize(), PRODUCT_PREFIX);
     }
 
     private String storeImage(MultipartFile file, Path directory, String prefix) throws IOException {
@@ -90,7 +102,7 @@ public class CatalogImageStorageService {
         }
         String extension = originalFilename.substring(extensionIndex).toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT);
         return switch (extension) {
-            case ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif" -> extension;
+            case ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif", ".webp" -> extension;
             default -> ".jpg";
         };
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/resources/application.yml b/backend/src/main/resources/application.yml
index d16835fb..e3c3e0df 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/resources/application.yml
+++ b/backend/src/main/resources/application.yml
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ springdoc:
   swagger-ui:
     path: /swagger-ui
 
+app:
+  upload:
+    base-dir: ${UPLOAD_BASE_DIR:uploads}
+
 jwt:
   secret: ${JWT_SECRET}
   expiration: ${JWT_EXPIRATION:86400000}