diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/ui/view/SystemViewPart.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/ui/view/SystemViewPart.java
index a9dd3cb1bc8..6ebe4c8029b 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/ui/view/SystemViewPart.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/UI/org/eclipse/rse/ui/view/SystemViewPart.java
@@ -446,10 +446,13 @@ public class SystemViewPart
 		{
 			// assume this is the primary RSE view
 
-			// WE GET ALL THE WAY HERE, BUT THESE LINES OF CODE ARE INEFFECTIVE FOR SOME REASON!!           
-			TreeItem firstItem = systemView.getTree().getItems()[0];
-			systemView.setSelection(new StructuredSelection(firstItem.getData()));
-			systemView.setExpandedState(firstItem.getData(), true);
+			// WE GET ALL THE WAY HERE, BUT THESE LINES OF CODE ARE INEFFECTIVE FOR SOME REASON!!
+			
+			if (systemView.getTree().getItemCount() > 0) {
+				TreeItem firstItem = systemView.getTree().getItems()[0];
+				systemView.setSelection(new StructuredSelection(firstItem.getData()));
+				systemView.setExpandedState(firstItem.getData(), true);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/model/SystemRegistry.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/model/SystemRegistry.java
index 6a74adb4121..0415e3872ac 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/model/SystemRegistry.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.ui/model/org/eclipse/rse/model/SystemRegistry.java
@@ -254,7 +254,14 @@ public class SystemRegistry implements ISystemRegistryUI, ISystemModelChangeEven
 			if (sysType != null) { // sysType can be null if workspace contains a host that is no longer defined by the workbench
 				RSESystemTypeAdapter adapter = (RSESystemTypeAdapter)(sysType.getAdapter(IRSESystemType.class));
 				if (adapter.isEnabled(sysType)) {
-					result.add(con);
+					
+					// Bug 154524 Local node is shown in RSE even though the Local subsystem is not installed
+					// so we check for subsystems
+					ISubSystem[] subsystems = con.getSubSystems();
+					
+					if (subsystems != null && subsystems.length != 0) {
+						result.add(con);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}