diff --git a/src/app/file_system.cpp b/src/app/file_system.cpp
index 41905592f..13910099e 100644
--- a/src/app/file_system.cpp
+++ b/src/app/file_system.cpp
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ static FileItem* get_fileitem_by_fullpidl(LPITEMIDLIST fullpidl, bool create_if_
     return nullptr;
 
   // new file-item
-  FileItem* fileitem = new FileItem(nullptr);
+  auto fileitem = std::make_unique<FileItem>(nullptr);
   fileitem->m_fullpidl = clone_pidl(fullpidl);
 
   {
@@ -974,25 +974,25 @@ static FileItem* get_fileitem_by_fullpidl(LPITEMIDLIST fullpidl, bool create_if_
     free_pidl(parent_fullpidl);
 
     // The parent folder is sometimes deleted for some reasons. In
-    // that case, m_parent becomes nullptr, which can causes crash.
-    if (fileitem->m_parent == nullptr) {
-      throw std::runtime_error(
-        "Unexpected file system change. Please check the file.");
-    }
+    // that case, m_parent becomes nullptr, so we cannot use it
+    // anymore. Here we just return nullptr to indicate that the item
+    // doesn't exist anymore.
+    if (fileitem->m_parent == nullptr)
+      return nullptr;
 
     // Get specific pidl attributes
     if (fileitem->m_pidl &&
         fileitem->m_parent) {
-      attrib = get_pidl_attrib(fileitem, attrib);
+      attrib = get_pidl_attrib(fileitem.get(), attrib);
     }
   }
 
-  update_by_pidl(fileitem, attrib);
-  put_fileitem(fileitem);
+  update_by_pidl(fileitem.get(), attrib);
+  put_fileitem(fileitem.get());
 
   //LOG("FS: fileitem %p created %s with parent %p\n", fileitem, fileitem->keyname.c_str(), fileitem->parent);
 
-  return fileitem;
+  return fileitem.release();
 }
 
 // Inserts the fileitem in the hash map of items.