diff --git a/src/Files.App/Helpers/Layout/LayoutPreferencesManager.cs b/src/Files.App/Helpers/Layout/LayoutPreferencesManager.cs
index d3e74adb7433..a3179d217929 100644
--- a/src/Files.App/Helpers/Layout/LayoutPreferencesManager.cs
+++ b/src/Files.App/Helpers/Layout/LayoutPreferencesManager.cs
@@ -488,6 +488,9 @@ public static void SetLayoutPreferencesForPath(string path, LayoutPreferencesIte
 		{
 			if (!UserSettingsService.LayoutSettingsService.SyncFolderPreferencesAcrossDirectories)
 			{
+				if (!IsPathAccessible(path))
+					return GetDefaultLayoutPreferences(path);
+
 				path = path.TrimPath() ?? string.Empty;
 
 				return SafetyExtensions.IgnoreExceptions(() =>
@@ -563,6 +566,18 @@ public static void SetLayoutPreferencesForPath(string path, LayoutPreferencesIte
 			}
 		}
 
+		private static bool IsPathAccessible(string path)
+		{
+			try
+			{
+				return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(path) && Directory.Exists(path);
+			}
+			catch (Exception)
+			{
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+
 		private static bool SetLayoutPreferencesToDatabase(string path, ulong? frn, LayoutPreferencesItem preferencesItem)
 		{
 			if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(path))