diff --git a/melib/src/backends.rs b/melib/src/backends.rs
index d81e056cb..27d51f023 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ pub trait MailBackend: ::std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
         sender: RefreshEventConsumer,
         work_context: WorkContext,
     ) -> Result<std::thread::ThreadId>;
-    fn folders(&self) -> FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>;
+    fn folders(&self) -> Result<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>>;
     fn operation(&self, hash: EnvelopeHash) -> Box<dyn BackendOp>;
 
     fn save(&self, bytes: &[u8], folder: &str, flags: Option<Flag>) -> Result<()>;
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
index 423055455..a03980e86 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
@@ -269,17 +269,17 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
         Ok(handle.thread().id())
     }
 
-    fn folders(&self) -> FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> {
+    fn folders(&self) -> Result<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>> {
         {
             let folders = self.folders.read().unwrap();
             if !folders.is_empty() {
-                return folders
+                return Ok(folders
                     .iter()
                     .map(|(h, f)| (*h, Box::new(Clone::clone(f)) as Folder))
-                    .collect();
+                    .collect());
             }
         }
-        let mut folders = self.folders.write().unwrap();
+        let mut folders = self.folders.write()?;
         *folders = ImapType::imap_folders(&self.connection);
         folders.retain(|_, f| (self.is_subscribed)(f.path()));
         let keys = folders.keys().cloned().collect::<FnvHashSet<FolderHash>>();
@@ -287,10 +287,10 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
             f.children.retain(|c| keys.contains(c));
         }
         *self.online.lock().unwrap() = true;
-        folders
+        Ok(folders
             .iter()
             .map(|(h, f)| (*h, Box::new(Clone::clone(f)) as Folder))
-            .collect()
+            .collect())
     }
 
     fn operation(&self, hash: EnvelopeHash) -> Box<dyn BackendOp> {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
index 2464c4bec..484aa0228 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
@@ -186,12 +186,15 @@ impl MailBackend for MaildirType {
     fn is_online(&self) -> bool {
         true
     }
-    fn folders(&self) -> FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> {
-        self.folders
+
+    fn folders(&self) -> Result<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>> {
+        Ok(self
+            .folders
             .iter()
             .map(|(h, f)| (*h, f.clone() as Folder))
-            .collect()
+            .collect())
     }
+
     fn get(&mut self, folder: &Folder) -> Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>> {
         self.multicore(4, folder)
     }
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
index 5b99f2553..03ed35d06 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
@@ -536,13 +536,14 @@ impl MailBackend for MboxType {
             })?;
         Ok(handle.thread().id())
     }
-    fn folders(&self) -> FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> {
-        self.folders
+    fn folders(&self) -> Result<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>> {
+        Ok(self
+            .folders
             .lock()
             .unwrap()
             .iter()
             .map(|(h, f)| (*h, f.clone() as Folder))
-            .collect()
+            .collect())
     }
     fn operation(&self, hash: EnvelopeHash) -> Box<dyn BackendOp> {
         let (offset, length) = {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs b/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
index 530ec0d82..eb6c51579 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
@@ -268,13 +268,13 @@ impl MailBackend for NotmuchDb {
             .spawn(move || {})?;
         Ok(handle.thread().id())
     }
-    fn folders(&self) -> FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> {
-        self.folders
+    fn folders(&self) -> Result<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder>> {
+        Ok(self.folders
             .read()
             .unwrap()
             .iter()
             .map(|(k, f)| (*k, BackendFolder::clone(f)))
-            .collect()
+            .collect())
     }
     fn operation(&self, hash: EnvelopeHash) -> Box<dyn BackendOp> {
         Box::new(NotmuchOp {
diff --git a/ui/src/conf/accounts.rs b/ui/src/conf/accounts.rs
index 5e07df8b0..402ed51fe 100644
--- a/ui/src/conf/accounts.rs
+++ b/ui/src/conf/accounts.rs
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ impl Account {
     }
 
     fn init(&mut self) {
-        let mut ref_folders: FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> =
-            self.backend.read().unwrap().folders();
+        let ref_folders: FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> =
+            self.backend.read().unwrap().folders().unwrap();
         let mut folders: FnvHashMap<FolderHash, MailboxEntry> =
             FnvHashMap::with_capacity_and_hasher(ref_folders.len(), Default::default());
         let mut folders_order: Vec<FolderHash> = Vec::with_capacity(ref_folders.len());
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ impl Account {
                     }
 
                     let ref_folders: FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> =
-                        self.backend.read().unwrap().folders();
+                        self.backend.read().unwrap().folders().unwrap();
                     let folder_conf = &self.settings.folder_confs[&self.folder_names[&folder_hash]];
                     if folder_conf.folder_conf().ignore.is_true() {
                         return Some(UIEvent::MailboxUpdate((self.index, folder_hash)));
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ impl Account {
                 }
                 RefreshEventKind::Rescan => {
                     let ref_folders: FnvHashMap<FolderHash, Folder> =
-                        self.backend.read().unwrap().folders();
+                        self.backend.read().unwrap().folders().unwrap();
                     let handle = Account::new_worker(
                         &self.settings,
                         ref_folders[&folder_hash].clone(),
@@ -686,8 +686,12 @@ impl Account {
         self.folders.is_empty()
     }
     pub fn list_folders(&self) -> Vec<Folder> {
-        let mut folders = self.backend.read().unwrap().folders();
         let folder_confs = self.settings.conf().folders();
+        let mut folders = if let Ok(folders) = self.backend.read().unwrap().folders() {
+            folders
+        } else {
+            return Vec::new();
+        };
         //debug!("folder renames: {:?}", folder_renames);
         for f in folders.values_mut() {
             if let Some(r) = folder_confs.get(f.path()) {
diff --git a/ui/src/state.rs b/ui/src/state.rs
index 2860c9c9e..10ef68137 100644
--- a/ui/src/state.rs
+++ b/ui/src/state.rs
@@ -147,13 +147,7 @@ impl Context {
         let was_online = accounts[account_pos].is_online;
         if accounts[account_pos].is_online() {
             if !was_online {
-                for folder in accounts[account_pos]
-                    .backend
-                    .read()
-                    .unwrap()
-                    .folders()
-                    .values()
-                {
+                for folder in accounts[account_pos].list_folders() {
                     debug!("hash & folder: {:?} {}", folder.hash(), folder.name());
                     mailbox_hashes.insert(folder.hash(), account_pos);
                 }