diff --git a/app/controllers/templates_uploads_controller.rb b/app/controllers/templates_uploads_controller.rb
index a21e8439d..9b9f5f602 100644
--- a/app/controllers/templates_uploads_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/templates_uploads_controller.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ def create
   rescue StandardError => e
     Rollbar.error(e) if defined?(Rollbar)
 
+    raise if Rails.env.local?
+
     redirect_to root_path, alert: 'Unable to upload file'
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/submissions/generate_result_attachments.rb b/lib/submissions/generate_result_attachments.rb
index 4e37347cc..5cae5d7a4 100644
--- a/lib/submissions/generate_result_attachments.rb
+++ b/lib/submissions/generate_result_attachments.rb
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ def build_pdfs_index(submitter, flatten: true)
 
         if flatten
           begin
+            pdf.acro_form.create_appearances(force: true) if pdf.acro_form && pdf.acro_form[:NeedAppearances]
             pdf.acro_form&.flatten
           rescue StandardError => e
             Rollbar.error(e) if defined?(Rollbar)
diff --git a/lib/templates/process_document.rb b/lib/templates/process_document.rb
index 66ae493d1..9fccb7d3f 100644
--- a/lib/templates/process_document.rb
+++ b/lib/templates/process_document.rb
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def generate_pdf_preview_images(attachment, data)
       pdf = HexaPDF::Document.new(io: StringIO.new(data))
       number_of_pages = pdf.pages.size
 
-      data = maybe_flatten_form(data, pdf, attachment)
+      data = maybe_flatten_form(data, pdf)
 
       attachment.metadata['pdf'] ||= {}
       attachment.metadata['pdf']['number_of_pages'] = number_of_pages
@@ -74,15 +74,15 @@ def generate_pdf_preview_images(attachment, data)
       end
     end
 
-    def maybe_flatten_form(data, pdf, attachment)
+    def maybe_flatten_form(data, pdf)
       return data if data.size > MAX_FLATTEN_FILE_SIZE
       return data if pdf.acro_form.blank?
-      return data if attachment.record.account.account_configs
-                               .find_or_initialize_by(key: AccountConfig::FLATTEN_RESULT_PDF_KEY).value == false
 
       io = StringIO.new
 
-      pdf.acro_form&.flatten
+      pdf.acro_form.create_appearances(force: true) if pdf.acro_form[:NeedAppearances]
+      pdf.acro_form.flatten
+
       pdf.write(io, incremental: false, validate: false)
 
       io.string