diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/app.module.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/app.module.ts
index 62ca9adb..eab2c673 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/app.module.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/app.module.ts
@@ -111,13 +111,17 @@ if (
   console.log('Added AnalyticsModule')
 }
 
-if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
+if (
+  !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+  process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+) {
   console.log(
     'Using local storage, path: ',
     join(__dirname, '../', 'localStorage')
   )
   imports.push(
     ServeStaticModule.forRoot({
+      serveRoot: '/assets-storage',
       rootPath: join(__dirname, '../', 'localStorage')
     })
   )
diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/main.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/main.ts
index eba59379..c4d6e639 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/main.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/main.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,22 @@ async function bootstrapMirrorWebServer() {
   })
   app.useWebSocketAdapter(new WsAdapter(app))
 
+  // asset storage driver env validation
+  if (
+    process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP' &&
+    !process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC
+  ) {
+    throw new Error('GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC is required when using GCP storage')
+  }
+
+  if (
+    (!process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+      process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') &&
+    !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_URL
+  ) {
+    throw new Error('ASSET_STORAGE_URL is required when using LOCAL storage')
+  }
+
   // Important: This *only* sets up validation pipes for HTTP handlers, NOT Websockets. See the notice here: https://docs.nestjs.com/pipes#global-scoped-pipes
   app.useGlobalPipes(
     new ValidationPipe({
diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/space/space-godot-server.controller.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/space/space-godot-server.controller.ts
index 0f34120b..fc284bb9 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/space/space-godot-server.controller.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/space/space-godot-server.controller.ts
@@ -82,23 +82,28 @@ export class SpaceGodotServerController {
     try {
       const remoteRelativePath = `space/${id}/terrain/voxels.dat`
 
-      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
-        await this.fileUploadService.uploadFileLocal(file, remoteRelativePath)
+      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP') {
+        await this.fileUploadService.streamFile(
+          process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
+          remoteRelativePath,
+          file,
+          'publicRead'
+        )
         return {
           success: true,
-          publicUrl: `${process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
+          publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
         }
       }
 
-      await this.fileUploadService.streamFile(
-        process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
-        remoteRelativePath,
-        file,
-        'publicRead'
-      )
-      return {
-        success: true,
-        publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
+      if (
+        !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+        process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+      ) {
+        await this.fileUploadService.uploadFileLocal(file, remoteRelativePath)
+        return {
+          success: true,
+          publicUrl: `${process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
+        }
       }
     } catch (e) {
       this.logger.error(e?.message, e, SpaceGodotServerController.name)
diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/space/space.service.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/space/space.service.ts
index d7f24f1c..4e3a7897 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/space/space.service.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/space/space.service.ts
@@ -1045,7 +1045,24 @@ export class SpaceService implements IRoleConsumer {
     try {
       const remoteRelativePath = `space/${spaceId}/terrain/voxels.dat`
 
-      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
+      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP') {
+        await this.fileUploadService.streamData(
+          process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
+          remoteRelativePath,
+          'application/octet-stream',
+          Buffer.from(new Uint8Array()),
+          'publicRead'
+        )
+        return {
+          success: true,
+          publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (
+        !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+        process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+      ) {
         // Create a fake file object to pass to the local file upload method
         const file: Express.Multer.File = {
           fieldname: '',
@@ -1054,29 +1071,19 @@ export class SpaceService implements IRoleConsumer {
           mimetype: 'application/octet-stream',
           size: 0,
           destination: '',
-          filename: '',
+          filename: 'voxels.dat',
           path: '',
           buffer: Buffer.from(new Uint8Array()),
           stream: null // Add the 'stream' property
         }
+
         await this.fileUploadService.uploadFileLocal(file, remoteRelativePath)
+
         return {
           success: true,
           publicUrl: `${process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
         }
       }
-
-      await this.fileUploadService.streamData(
-        process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
-        remoteRelativePath,
-        'application/octet-stream',
-        Buffer.from(new Uint8Array()),
-        'publicRead'
-      )
-      return {
-        success: true,
-        publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${remoteRelativePath}`
-      }
     } catch (e) {
       this.logger.error(e?.message, e, SpaceService.name)
       throw new InternalServerErrorException('Error uploading terrain data')
diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/terrain/terrain.service.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/terrain/terrain.service.ts
index 98cb5047..a9957bb3 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/terrain/terrain.service.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/terrain/terrain.service.ts
@@ -87,14 +87,20 @@ export class TerrainService {
     const fromPath = `space/${fromId}/terrain/voxels.dat`
     const toPath = `space/${toId}/terrain/voxels.dat`
     try {
-      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
+      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP') {
+        await this.fileUploadService.copyFileInBucket(
+          process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
+          fromPath,
+          toPath
+        )
+      }
+
+      if (
+        !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+        process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+      ) {
         return await this.fileUploadService.copyFileLocal(fromPath, toPath)
       }
-      await this.fileUploadService.copyFileInBucket(
-        process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
-        fromPath,
-        toPath
-      )
     } catch (error: any) {
       /** When no voxel exists, one will be created by godot */
       const message: string = error?.message || 'No error message provided'
diff --git a/mirror-web-server/src/util/file-upload/file-upload.service.ts b/mirror-web-server/src/util/file-upload/file-upload.service.ts
index 3d79266b..57537ec6 100644
--- a/mirror-web-server/src/util/file-upload/file-upload.service.ts
+++ b/mirror-web-server/src/util/file-upload/file-upload.service.ts
@@ -59,24 +59,29 @@ export class FileUploadService implements FileUploadInterface {
         file.mimetype
       )}`
 
+      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP') {
+        await this.streamFile(
+          process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
+          pathWithFileType,
+          file,
+          'publicRead'
+        )
+        return {
+          publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${pathWithFileType}`
+        }
+      }
+
       // If we're using local asset storage, we'll just save the file to the local storage
-      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
+      if (
+        !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+        process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+      ) {
         console.log('Uploading file to local storage')
         await this.uploadFileLocal(file, pathWithFileType)
         return {
           publicUrl: process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_URL + pathWithFileType
         }
       }
-
-      await this.streamFile(
-        process.env.GCS_BUCKET_PUBLIC,
-        pathWithFileType,
-        file,
-        'publicRead'
-      )
-      return {
-        publicUrl: `${process.env.GCP_BASE_PUBLIC_URL}/${pathWithFileType}`
-      }
     } catch (error: any) {
       const message: string = error?.message
       throw new HttpException(`File upload error: ${message}`, 400)
@@ -95,20 +100,25 @@ export class FileUploadService implements FileUploadInterface {
         file.mimetype
       )}`
 
+      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'GCP') {
+        await this.streamFile(
+          process.env.GCS_BUCKET,
+          pathWithFileType,
+          file,
+          'private'
+        )
+
+        return { relativePath: pathWithFileType }
+      }
+
       // If we're using local asset storage, we'll just save the file to the local storage
-      if (process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL') {
+      if (
+        !process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER ||
+        process.env.ASSET_STORAGE_DRIVER === 'LOCAL'
+      ) {
         await this.uploadFileLocal(file, pathWithFileType)
         return { relativePath: pathWithFileType }
       }
-
-      await this.streamFile(
-        process.env.GCS_BUCKET,
-        pathWithFileType,
-        file,
-        'private'
-      )
-
-      return { relativePath: pathWithFileType }
     } catch (error: any) {
       const message: string = error?.message
       throw new HttpException(`File upload error: ${message}`, 400)