diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index a6e39ec53..f12d293d6 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 	if (no_filenames) {
-		files.push_back( QString(prefs.default_filename) );
+		QString defaultFile(prefs.default_filename);
+		if (!defaultFile.isEmpty())
+			files.push_back( QString(prefs.default_filename) );
 	}
-
 	parse_xml_exit();
 	subsurface_command_line_exit(&argc, &argv);
 	mainWindow()->loadFiles(files);
diff --git a/qt-ui/mainwindow.cpp b/qt-ui/mainwindow.cpp
index 9a26404e2..eda19164d 100644
--- a/qt-ui/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/qt-ui/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -748,6 +748,9 @@ void MainWindow::setTitle(enum MainWindowTitleFormat format)
 
 void MainWindow::importFiles(const QStringList fileNames)
 {
+	if (fileNames.isEmpty())
+		return;
+
 	QByteArray fileNamePtr;
 	char *error = NULL;
 	for (int i = 0; i < fileNames.size(); ++i) {
@@ -771,6 +774,9 @@ void MainWindow::importFiles(const QStringList fileNames)
 
 void MainWindow::loadFiles(const QStringList fileNames)
 {
+	if (fileNames.isEmpty())
+		return;
+
 	char *error = NULL;
 	QByteArray fileNamePtr;