diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
index 01d1e101a4e..7e3808b5953 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
@@ -491,8 +491,11 @@ public class SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter
 				isOpen = atv.getExpandedState(element);
 				if (!isOpen)
 				{
-					if (!hasChildren((IAdaptable)element))
-						isOpen = true;
+					// if there are children but they are empty then we've queried this but there are no children
+					// so we have an empty open folder
+					Object[] contents = file.getContents(RemoteChildrenContentsType.getInstance());
+					if (contents != null && contents.length == 0)
+						isOpen = true;											
 				}
 			}
 			if (file.isRoot())
@@ -842,10 +845,9 @@ public class SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter
 			// check that the children are actually there			
 			//Object[] contents = file.getContents(RemoteChildrenContentsType.getInstance());
 			hasChildren = file.hasContents(RemoteChildrenContentsType.getInstance(), filter);
-			if (!hasChildren && !file.isStale())
+			//if (!hasChildren && !file.isStale())
+			if (!hasChildren && file.isStale()) // there are no children, but the resource is stale, therefore it still needs to be queried
 				hasChildren = true;
-		//	if (!file.isStale() && contents != null && contents.length == 0 )
-		//		hasChildren = false;
 		}
 
 		return hasChildren;
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFile.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFile.java
index 90e3b763569..89efbc94c0f 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFile.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFile.java
@@ -35,13 +35,11 @@ import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.IHost;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.ISystemContentsType;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.subsystems.IRemoteContainer;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.subsystems.RemoteChildrenContentsType;
-import org.eclipse.rse.internal.subsystems.files.core.ISystemFilePreferencesConstants;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.StringComparePatternMatcher;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.archiveutils.ArchiveHandlerManager;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.messages.SystemMessageException;
 import org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core.model.RemoteFileFilterString;
 import org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core.model.SystemFileTransferModeRegistry;
-import org.eclipse.rse.ui.RSEUIPlugin;
 
 
 /**
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ public abstract class RemoteFile implements IRemoteFile,  IAdaptable, Comparable
     protected HashMap _contents = new HashMap();
     
     /* container properties */
-    protected boolean _isStale = false;
+    protected boolean _isStale = true;
     
     // properties
     protected HashMap properties = new HashMap();