diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
index db9eebe215..f035b54c11 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
@@ -4494,7 +4494,7 @@ private bool Rewind(ref bool runFrame, long currentTimestamp, out bool returnToR
 
 		private static string SanitiseForFileDialog(string initDir)
 		{
-			if (Directory.Exists(initDir)) return initDir;
+			if (initDir.Length is 0 || Directory.Exists(initDir)) return initDir;
 #if DEBUG
 			throw new ArgumentException(
 				paramName: nameof(initDir),