diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
index 54cf7bc215b..7a5195e1c8c 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.files.ui/src/org/eclipse/rse/files/ui/view/SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.IHost;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.ISystemMessageObject;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.ISystemRegistry;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.ISystemResourceSet;
+import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.SystemChildrenContentsType;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.SystemMessageObject;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.model.SystemWorkspaceResourceSet;
 import org.eclipse.rse.core.subsystems.ISubSystem;
@@ -522,6 +523,11 @@ public class SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter
 			{
 				AbstractTreeViewer atv = (AbstractTreeViewer) getViewer();
 				isOpen = atv.getExpandedState(element);
+				if (!isOpen)
+				{
+					if (!hasChildren(element))
+						isOpen = true;
+				}
 			}
 			if (file.isRoot())
 				return RSEUIPlugin.getDefault().getImageDescriptor(isOpen ? ISystemIconConstants.ICON_SYSTEM_ROOTDRIVEOPEN_ID : ISystemIconConstants.ICON_SYSTEM_ROOTDRIVE_ID);
@@ -784,6 +790,13 @@ public class SystemViewRemoteFileAdapter
 		        hasChildren = file.hasContents(RemoteChildrenContentsType.getInstance());
 		    }
 		}
+		else
+		{
+			// check that the children are actually there			
+			Object[] contents = file.getContents(RemoteChildrenContentsType.getInstance());
+			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 ddd54f93ba1..9e756e7087a 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
@@ -860,8 +860,10 @@ public abstract class RemoteFile implements IRemoteFile,  IAdaptable, Comparable
 		if (filter == null) {
 			filter = "*"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 		}
-		
-		if (con != null && con.length > 0) 
+	
+	// DKM - consider all containers so that we can tell if an empty one
+	// has been queried before (i.e. via IRemoteFile[0] as it's contents vs null)	
+//		if (con != null && con.length > 0) 
 		{
 			isContainer = true;
 		}