diff --git a/deployment/docker-build/dev/docker-compose.yml b/deployment/docker-build/dev/docker-compose.yml
index ecce78286..40aa95d22 100644
--- a/deployment/docker-build/dev/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deployment/docker-build/dev/docker-compose.yml
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ services:
 
   ipfs:
     restart: always
-    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.15.0
+    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.34.1
     ports:
       - "4001:4001"
       - "4001:4001/udp"
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ services:
       - IPFS_PROFILE=server
     networks:
       - pyaleph
-    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--migrate"]
+    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--enable-gc", "--migrate"]
 
 
 networks:
diff --git a/deployment/docker-build/docker-compose.yml b/deployment/docker-build/docker-compose.yml
index 486457c06..b2e8a0fb8 100644
--- a/deployment/docker-build/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deployment/docker-build/docker-compose.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ services:
 
   ipfs:
     restart: always
-    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.15.0
+    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.34.1
     ports:
       - "4001:4001"
       - "4001:4001/udp"
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ services:
       - IPFS_PROFILE=server
     networks:
       - pyaleph
-    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--migrate"]
+    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--enable-gc", "--migrate"]
 
   postgres:
     restart: always
diff --git a/deployment/samples/docker-compose/docker-compose.yml b/deployment/samples/docker-compose/docker-compose.yml
index b61406398..11f13cc05 100644
--- a/deployment/samples/docker-compose/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deployment/samples/docker-compose/docker-compose.yml
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ services:
 
   ipfs:
     restart: always
-    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.15.0
+    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.34.1
     ports:
       - "4001:4001"
       - "4001:4001/udp"
diff --git a/deployment/samples/docker-monitoring/docker-compose.yml b/deployment/samples/docker-monitoring/docker-compose.yml
index 7c08e31e7..bf53bee9f 100644
--- a/deployment/samples/docker-monitoring/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deployment/samples/docker-monitoring/docker-compose.yml
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ services:
 
   ipfs:
     restart: always
-    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.15.0
+    image: ipfs/kubo:v0.34.1
     ports:
       - "4001:4001"
       - "4001:4001/udp"
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ services:
       - IPFS_PROFILE=server
     networks:
       - pyaleph
-    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--migrate"]
+    command: ["daemon", "--enable-pubsub-experiment", "--enable-gc", "--migrate"]
 
   prometheus:
     restart: always
diff --git a/src/aleph/db/accessors/files.py b/src/aleph/db/accessors/files.py
index da7f51156..a073098e2 100644
--- a/src/aleph/db/accessors/files.py
+++ b/src/aleph/db/accessors/files.py
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ def get_unpinned_files(session: DbSession) -> Iterable[StoredFileDb]:
     """
     Returns the list of files that are not pinned by a message or an on-chain transaction.
     """
-    select_pins = select(FilePinDb).where(FilePinDb.file_hash == StoredFileDb.hash)
-    select_stmt = select(StoredFileDb).where(~select_pins.exists())
+    select_stmt = (
+        select(StoredFileDb)
+        .join(FilePinDb, StoredFileDb.hash == FilePinDb.file_hash, isouter=True)
+        .where(FilePinDb.id.is_(None))
+    )
     return session.execute(select_stmt).scalars()
 
 
diff --git a/src/aleph/db/accessors/messages.py b/src/aleph/db/accessors/messages.py
index 2003dd96d..6ab4a6175 100644
--- a/src/aleph/db/accessors/messages.py
+++ b/src/aleph/db/accessors/messages.py
@@ -437,11 +437,38 @@ def make_upsert_rejected_message_statement(
     exc_traceback: Optional[str] = None,
     tx_hash: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Insert:
+    # Convert details to a dictionary that is JSON serializable
+    serializable_details = None
+    if details is not None:
+        try:
+            # First try a simple dict conversion
+            serializable_details = dict(details)
+
+            # Now recursively ensure all values within the dictionary are JSON serializable
+            def ensure_serializable(obj):
+                if isinstance(obj, dict):
+                    return {k: ensure_serializable(v) for k, v in obj.items()}
+                elif isinstance(obj, list):
+                    return [ensure_serializable(item) for item in obj]
+                elif isinstance(obj, (str, int, float, bool, type(None))):
+                    return obj
+                else:
+                    # For non-serializable types, convert to string
+                    return str(obj)
+
+            serializable_details = ensure_serializable(serializable_details)
+
+        except Exception:
+            # If any conversion fails, create a new dict with a message
+            serializable_details = {
+                "error": "Details contained non-serializable values"
+            }
+
     insert_rejected_message_stmt = insert(RejectedMessageDb).values(
         item_hash=item_hash,
         message=pending_message_dict,
         error_code=error_code,
-        details=details,
+        details=serializable_details,
         traceback=exc_traceback,
         tx_hash=tx_hash,
     )
@@ -449,7 +476,7 @@ def make_upsert_rejected_message_statement(
         constraint="rejected_messages_pkey",
         set_={
             "error_code": insert_rejected_message_stmt.excluded.error_code,
-            "details": details,
+            "details": serializable_details,
             "traceback": insert_rejected_message_stmt.excluded.traceback,
             "tx_hash": tx_hash,
         },
diff --git a/src/aleph/services/storage/garbage_collector.py b/src/aleph/services/storage/garbage_collector.py
index eae578e0c..51e622155 100644
--- a/src/aleph/services/storage/garbage_collector.py
+++ b/src/aleph/services/storage/garbage_collector.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import logging
 
 from aioipfs import NotPinnedError
-from aioipfs.api import RepoAPI
 from aleph_message.models import ItemHash, ItemType
 from configmanager import Config
 
@@ -29,15 +28,13 @@ async def _delete_from_ipfs(self, file_hash: ItemHash):
             result = await ipfs_client.pin.rm(file_hash)
             print(result)
 
-            # Launch the IPFS garbage collector (`ipfs repo gc`)
-            async for _ in RepoAPI(driver=ipfs_client).gc():
-                pass
-
         except NotPinnedError:
             LOGGER.warning("File not pinned: %s", file_hash)
+        except Exception as err:
+            LOGGER.error("Failed to unpin file %s: %s", file_hash, str(err))
 
         # Smaller IPFS files are cached in local storage
-        LOGGER.debug("Deleting %s from local storage")
+        LOGGER.debug("Deleting %s from local storage", file_hash)
         await self._delete_from_local_storage(file_hash)
 
         LOGGER.debug("Removed from IPFS: %s", file_hash)
@@ -55,7 +52,7 @@ async def collect(self, datetime: dt.datetime):
 
             # Delete files without pins
             files_to_delete = list(get_unpinned_files(session))
-            LOGGER.info("Found %d files to delete")
+            LOGGER.info("Found %d files to delete", len(files_to_delete))
 
             for file_to_delete in files_to_delete:
                 file_hash = ItemHash(file_to_delete.hash)
@@ -91,5 +88,7 @@ async def garbage_collector_task(
             LOGGER.info("Starting garbage collection...")
             await garbage_collector.collect(datetime=utc_now())
             LOGGER.info("Garbage collector ran successfully.")
-        except Exception:
-            LOGGER.exception("An unexpected error occurred during garbage collection.")
+        except Exception as err:
+            LOGGER.exception(
+                "An unexpected error occurred during garbage collection.", exc_info=err
+            )
diff --git a/src/aleph/types/message_status.py b/src/aleph/types/message_status.py
index 2e1403638..406696e79 100644
--- a/src/aleph/types/message_status.py
+++ b/src/aleph/types/message_status.py
@@ -74,8 +74,32 @@ def __str__(self):
         return self.__class__.__name__
 
     def details(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Return error details in a JSON serializable format.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dictionary with error details or None if no errors.
+        """
         errors = self.args[0]
-        return {"errors": errors} if errors else None
+
+        # Ensure errors are JSON serializable
+        if errors:
+            # Convert non-serializable objects to strings if needed
+            serializable_errors = []
+            for err in errors:
+                try:
+                    # Test if the error is JSON serializable by attempting to convert to dict
+                    # This will fail for custom objects
+                    if hasattr(err, "__dict__"):
+                        serializable_errors.append(str(err))
+                    else:
+                        serializable_errors.append(err)
+                except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                    # If conversion fails, use string representation
+                    serializable_errors.append(str(err))
+
+            return {"errors": serializable_errors}
+        return None
 
 
 class InvalidMessageException(MessageProcessingException):
@@ -272,14 +296,21 @@ def __init__(
         self.parent_size = parent_size
 
     def details(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Return error details in a JSON serializable format.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dictionary with error details.
+        """
+        # Ensure all values are JSON serializable
         return {
             "errors": [
                 {
-                    "volume_name": self.volume_name,
-                    "parent_ref": self.parent_ref,
-                    "parent_file": self.parent_file,
-                    "parent_size": self.parent_size,
-                    "volume_size": self.volume_size,
+                    "volume_name": str(self.volume_name),
+                    "parent_ref": str(self.parent_ref),
+                    "parent_file": str(self.parent_file),
+                    "parent_size": int(self.parent_size),
+                    "volume_size": int(self.volume_size),
                 }
             ]
         }
@@ -299,11 +330,17 @@ def __init__(
         self.aggregate_key = aggregate_key
 
     def details(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Return error details in a JSON serializable format.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dictionary with error details.
+        """
         errors = []
         if self.target_hash is not None:
-            errors.append({"message": self.target_hash})
+            errors.append({"message": str(self.target_hash)})
         if self.aggregate_key is not None:
-            errors.append({"aggregate": self.aggregate_key})
+            errors.append({"aggregate": str(self.aggregate_key)})
 
         return {"errors": errors}
 
@@ -319,7 +356,13 @@ def __init__(self, target_hash: str):
         self.target_hash = target_hash
 
     def details(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        return {"errors": [{"message": self.target_hash}]}
+        """
+        Return error details in a JSON serializable format.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dictionary with error details.
+        """
+        return {"errors": [{"message": str(self.target_hash)}]}
 
 
 class InsufficientBalanceException(InvalidMessageException):
@@ -338,7 +381,13 @@ def __init__(
         self.required_balance = required_balance
 
     def details(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        # Note: cast to string to keep the precision
+        """
+        Return error details in a JSON serializable format.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dictionary with error details.
+        """
+        # Note: cast to string to keep the precision and ensure it's JSON serializable
         return {
             "errors": [
                 {