diff --git a/beetsplug/scrub.py b/beetsplug/scrub.py
index 5c0d74e6e..066387f74 100644
--- a/beetsplug/scrub.py
+++ b/beetsplug/scrub.py
@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ class ScrubPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
 
                 # Get album art if we need to restore it.
                 if opts.write:
-                    mf = mediafile.MediaFile(item.path,
-                                             config['id3v23'].get(bool))
+                    try:
+                        mf = mediafile.MediaFile(item.path,
+                                                 config['id3v23'].get(bool))
+                    except IOError as exc:
+                        self._log.error(u'scrubbing failed: {0}', exc)
                     art = mf.art
 
                 # Remove all tags.
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index c0cf49b12..77ef019ab 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ Fixes:
 * Improve error messages when parsing query strings with shlex. :bug:`1290`
 * :doc:`/plugins/embedart`: Fix a crash that occured when used together
   with the *check* plugin. :bug:`1241`
+* :doc:`/plugins/scrub`: Log an error instead of stopping when the ``beet
+  scrub`` command cannot write a file. :bug:`1297`
 
 For developers: