diff --git a/src/Files.App/Helpers/Navigation/NavigationHelpers.cs b/src/Files.App/Helpers/Navigation/NavigationHelpers.cs
index 0723bc313e09..c2910b6140be 100644
--- a/src/Files.App/Helpers/Navigation/NavigationHelpers.cs
+++ b/src/Files.App/Helpers/Navigation/NavigationHelpers.cs
@@ -341,7 +341,8 @@ public static Task LaunchNewWindowAsync()
 		public static async Task OpenSelectedItemsAsync(IShellPage associatedInstance, bool openViaApplicationPicker = false)
 		{
 			// Don't open files and folders inside recycle bin
-			if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.WorkingDirectory.StartsWith(Constants.UserEnvironmentPaths.RecycleBinPath, StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
+			if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is null ||
+				associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.WorkingDirectory.StartsWith(Constants.UserEnvironmentPaths.RecycleBinPath, StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
 				associatedInstance.SlimContentPage?.SelectedItems is null)
 			{
 				return;
@@ -378,7 +379,8 @@ public static async Task OpenSelectedItemsAsync(IShellPage associatedInstance, b
 		public static async Task OpenItemsWithExecutableAsync(IShellPage associatedInstance, IEnumerable<IStorageItemWithPath> items, string executablePath)
 		{
 			// Don't open files and folders inside recycle bin
-			if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.WorkingDirectory.StartsWith(Constants.UserEnvironmentPaths.RecycleBinPath, StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
+			if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is null ||
+				associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.WorkingDirectory.StartsWith(Constants.UserEnvironmentPaths.RecycleBinPath, StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
 				associatedInstance.SlimContentPage is null)
 				return;
 
@@ -398,6 +400,9 @@ public static async Task OpenItemsWithExecutableAsync(IShellPage associatedInsta
 		/// <param name="forceOpenInNewTab">Open folders in a new tab regardless of the "OpenFoldersInNewTab" option</param>
 		public static async Task<bool> OpenPath(string path, IShellPage associatedInstance, FilesystemItemType? itemType = null, bool openSilent = false, bool openViaApplicationPicker = false, IEnumerable<string>? selectItems = null, string? args = default, bool forceOpenInNewTab = false)
 		{
+			if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is null)
+				return false;
+
 			string previousDir = associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.WorkingDirectory;
 			bool isHiddenItem = Win32Helper.HasFileAttribute(path, System.IO.FileAttributes.Hidden);
 			bool isDirectory = Win32Helper.HasFileAttribute(path, System.IO.FileAttributes.Directory);
@@ -550,13 +555,16 @@ private static async Task<FilesystemResult> OpenDirectory(string path, IShellPag
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				opened = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFolderWithPathFromPathAsync(path)
-					.OnSuccess((childFolder) =>
-					{
-						// Add location to Recent Items List
-						if (childFolder.Item is SystemStorageFolder)
-							WindowsRecentItemsService.Add(childFolder.Path);
-					});
+				if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is not null)
+				{
+					opened = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFolderWithPathFromPathAsync(path)
+						.OnSuccess((childFolder) =>
+						{
+							// Add location to Recent Items List
+							if (childFolder.Item is SystemStorageFolder)
+								WindowsRecentItemsService.Add(childFolder.Path);
+						});
+				}
 				if (!opened)
 					opened = (FilesystemResult)FolderHelpers.CheckFolderAccessWithWin32(path);
 
@@ -582,7 +590,7 @@ private static async Task<FilesystemResult> OpenFile(string path, IShellPage ass
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					if (!FileExtensionHelpers.IsWebLinkFile(path))
+					if (!FileExtensionHelpers.IsWebLinkFile(path) && associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is not null)
 					{
 						StorageFileWithPath childFile = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFileWithPathFromPathAsync(shortcutInfo.TargetPath);
 						// Add location to Recent Items List
@@ -599,9 +607,11 @@ private static async Task<FilesystemResult> OpenFile(string path, IShellPage ass
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				opened = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFileWithPathFromPathAsync(path)
-					.OnSuccess(async childFile =>
-					{
+				if (associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is not null)
+				{
+					opened = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFileWithPathFromPathAsync(path)
+						.OnSuccess(async childFile =>
+						{
 						// Add location to Recent Items List
 						if (childFile.Item is SystemStorageFile)
 							WindowsRecentItemsService.Add(childFile.Path);
@@ -627,7 +637,9 @@ private static async Task<FilesystemResult> OpenFile(string path, IShellPage ass
 								bool launchSuccess = false;
 								BaseStorageFileQueryResult? fileQueryResult = null;
 								//Get folder to create a file query (to pass to apps like Photos, Movies & TV..., needed to scroll through the folder like what Windows Explorer does)
-								BaseStorageFolder currentFolder = await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFolderFromPathAsync(PathNormalization.GetParentDir(path));
+								BaseStorageFolder? currentFolder = associatedInstance.ShellViewModel is not null
+									? await associatedInstance.ShellViewModel.GetFolderFromPathAsync(PathNormalization.GetParentDir(path))
+									: null;
 								if (currentFolder is not null)
 								{
 									QueryOptions queryOptions = new(CommonFileQuery.DefaultQuery, null);
@@ -692,6 +704,7 @@ private static async Task<FilesystemResult> OpenFile(string path, IShellPage ass
 							}
 						}
 					});
+				}
 			}
 			return opened;
 		}