diff --git a/widgets/account.go b/widgets/account.go
index 2d3b0d2..9340370 100644
--- a/widgets/account.go
+++ b/widgets/account.go
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 		case *types.Connect, *types.Reconnect:
 			acct.SetStatus(statusline.ConnectionActivity("Listing mailboxes..."))
 			acct.logger.Println("Listing mailboxes...")
+			acct.dirlist.SetConnected(true)
 			acct.dirlist.UpdateList(func(dirs []string) {
 				var dir string
 				for _, _dir := range dirs {
@@ -266,6 +267,7 @@ func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 				acct.newConn = true
 			})
 		case *types.Disconnect:
+			acct.dirlist.SetConnected(false)
 			acct.dirlist.UpdateList(nil)
 			acct.msglist.SetStore(nil)
 			acct.logger.Println("Disconnected.")
diff --git a/widgets/dirlist.go b/widgets/dirlist.go
index 60bd7fa..8448e4a 100644
--- a/widgets/dirlist.go
+++ b/widgets/dirlist.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type DirectoryLister interface {
 
 	UpdateList(func([]string))
 	List() []string
+	SetConnected(bool)
 
 	NextPrev(int)
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ type DirectoryList struct {
 	spinner    *Spinner
 	worker     *types.Worker
 	skipSelect chan bool
+	connected  bool
 }
 
 func NewDirectoryList(conf *config.AercConfig, acctConf *config.AccountConfig,
@@ -91,11 +93,24 @@ func (dirlist *DirectoryList) UiConfig() config.UIConfig {
 	})
 }
 
+func (dirlist *DirectoryList) SetConnected(c bool) {
+	dirlist.connected = c
+}
+
 func (dirlist *DirectoryList) List() []string {
 	return dirlist.store.List()
 }
 
 func (dirlist *DirectoryList) UpdateList(done func(dirs []string)) {
+	// Clear out dirlist if not connected
+	if !dirlist.connected {
+		// Only dirlist.dirs is used for the UI. No need to update dirstore
+		dirlist.dirs = []string{}
+		dirlist.Invalidate()
+		// Call callback with empty array for dirtree
+		done(dirlist.dirs)
+		return
+	}
 	// TODO: move this logic into dirstore
 	var dirs []string
 	dirlist.worker.PostAction(