diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 0659785e1b..f022d895dd 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ function run () {
 
   // insert ballot contract if there are no files available
   if (!loadingFromGist) {
-    filesProviders['browser'].resolveDirectory('', (error, filesList) => {
+    filesProviders['browser'].resolveDirectory('/', (error, filesList) => {
       if (error) console.error(error)
       if (Object.keys(filesList).length === 0) {
         if (!filesProviders['browser'].set(examples.ballot.name, examples.ballot.content)) {
diff --git a/src/app/files/basicReadOnlyExplorer.js b/src/app/files/basicReadOnlyExplorer.js
index cbf54a2255..d5a92bdae8 100644
--- a/src/app/files/basicReadOnlyExplorer.js
+++ b/src/app/files/basicReadOnlyExplorer.js
@@ -81,7 +81,18 @@ class BasicReadOnlyExplorer {
   // }
   //
   resolveDirectory (path, callback /* (error, filesList) => { } */) {
-    // path = '' + (path || '')
+    var self = this
+    if (path[0] === '/') path = path.substring(1)
+    var tree = {}
+    // This does not include '.remix.config', because it is filtered
+    // inside list().
+    Object.keys(this.list()).forEach(function (path) {
+      hashmapize(tree, path, {
+        '/readonly': self.isReadOnly(path),
+        '/content': self.get(path)
+      })
+    })
+    return callback(null, tree[path] || {})
     function hashmapize (obj, path, val) {
       var nodes = path.split('/')
       var i = 0
@@ -96,19 +107,6 @@ class BasicReadOnlyExplorer {
 
       obj[nodes[i]] = val
     }
-
-    var tree = {}
-
-    var self = this
-    // This does not include '.remix.config', because it is filtered
-    // inside list().
-    Object.keys(this.list()).forEach(function (path) {
-      hashmapize(tree, path, {
-        '/readonly': self.isReadOnly(path),
-        '/content': self.get(path)
-      })
-    })
-    callback(null, tree)
   }
 
   removePrefix (path) {
diff --git a/src/app/files/browser-files.js b/src/app/files/browser-files.js
index ecc42a083b..ac0504e4aa 100644
--- a/src/app/files/browser-files.js
+++ b/src/app/files/browser-files.js
@@ -117,20 +117,10 @@ function Files (storage) {
   //
   this.resolveDirectory = function (path, callback) {
     var self = this
-    // path = '' + (path || '')
-    function hashmapize (obj, path, val) {
-      var nodes = path.split('/')
-      var i = 0
-      for (; i < nodes.length - 1; i++) {
-        var node = nodes[i]
-        if (obj[node] === undefined) {
-          obj[node] = {}
-        }
-        obj = obj[node]
-      }
-      obj[nodes[i]] = val
-    }
+    if (path[0] === '/') path = path.substring(1)
+    if (!path) return callback(null, { [self.type]: { } })
     var filesList = {}
+    var tree = {}
     // add r/w filesList to the list
     storage.keys().forEach((path) => {
       // NOTE: as a temporary measure do not show the config file
@@ -142,16 +132,26 @@ function Files (storage) {
     Object.keys(readonly).forEach((path) => {
       filesList[self.type + '/' + path] = true
     })
-    var tree = {}
-    // This does not include '.remix.config', because it is filtered
-    // inside list().
+
     Object.keys(filesList).forEach(function (path) {
       hashmapize(tree, path, {
         '/readonly': self.isReadOnly(path),
         '/content': self.get(path)
       })
     })
-    callback(null, tree)
+    return callback(null, tree[path] || {})
+    function hashmapize (obj, path, val) {
+      var nodes = path.split('/')
+      var i = 0
+      for (; i < nodes.length - 1; i++) {
+        var node = nodes[i]
+        if (obj[node] === undefined) {
+          obj[node] = {}
+        }
+        obj = obj[node]
+      }
+      obj[nodes[i]] = val
+    }
   }
 
   this.removePrefix = function (path) {
diff --git a/src/app/files/file-explorer.js b/src/app/files/file-explorer.js
index 2e2673895e..48c341995e 100755
--- a/src/app/files/file-explorer.js
+++ b/src/app/files/file-explorer.js
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
   })
 
   var fileEvents = files.event
-  var treeView = new Treeview({
-    extractData: function (value, tree, key) {
+
+  self.treeView = new Treeview({
+    extractData: function extractData (value, tree, key) {
       var newValue = {}
       // var isReadOnly = false
       var isFile = false
@@ -99,8 +100,9 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
         })) : undefined
       }
     },
-    formatSelf: function (key, data, li) {
-      var isRoot = data.path.indexOf('/') === -1
+    formatSelf: function formatSelf (key, data, li) {
+      var isRoot = !data.path.indexOf('browser') && data.path.length === 'browser'.length
+      isRoot = isRoot || !data.path.indexOf('localhost') && data.path.length === 'localhost'.length
       return yo`<label class="${data.children ? css.folder : css.file}"
         data-path="${data.path}"
         style="${isRoot ? 'font-weight:bold;' : ''}"
@@ -109,11 +111,33 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
         onclick=${editModeOn}
         onkeydown=${editModeOff}
         onblur=${editModeOff}
-      >${key}</label>`
+      >${key.split('/').pop()}</label>`
+    }
+  })
+
+  self.treeView.event.register('nodeClick', function (path, childrenContainer) {
+    if (!childrenContainer) return
+    if (childrenContainer.style.display === 'none') {
+      childrenContainer.innerHTML = ''
+      return
     }
+    files.resolveDirectory(path, (error, fileTree) => {
+      if (error) console.error(error)
+      if (!fileTree) return
+      var newTree = normalize(path, fileTree)
+      var tree = self.treeView.renderProperties(newTree, false)
+      childrenContainer.appendChild(tree)
+    })
   })
 
-  this.treeView = treeView
+  function normalize (path, filesList) {
+    var prefix = path.split('/')[0]
+    var newList = {}
+    Object.keys(filesList).forEach(key => {
+      newList[prefix + '/' + key] = filesList[key].isDirectory ? {} : { '/content': true }
+    })
+    return newList
+  }
 
   var deleteButton = yo`
     <span class=${css.remove} onclick=${deletePath}>
@@ -138,10 +162,9 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
   var textUnderEdit = null
   var textInRename = false
 
-  var events = new EventManager()
-  this.events = events
-  var api = {}
-  api.addFile = function addFile (file) {
+  self.events = new EventManager()
+  self.api = {}
+  self.api.addFile = function addFile (file) {
     function loadFile () {
       var fileReader = new FileReader()
       fileReader.onload = function (event) {
@@ -151,7 +174,7 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
         }
         var success = files.set(name, event.target.result)
         if (!success) modalDialogCustom.alert('Failed to create file ' + name)
-        else events.trigger('focus', [name])
+        else self.events.trigger('focus', [name])
       }
       fileReader.readAsText(file)
     }
@@ -163,7 +186,6 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
       modalDialogCustom.confirm(null, `The file ${name} already exists! Would you like to overwrite it?`, () => { loadFile() })
     }
   }
-  this.api = api
 
   function focus (event) {
     event.cancelBubble = true
@@ -175,7 +197,7 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
     var label = getLabelFrom(li)
     var filepath = label.dataset.path
     var isFile = label.className.indexOf('file') === 0
-    if (isFile) events.trigger('focus', [filepath])
+    if (isFile) self.events.trigger('focus', [filepath])
   }
 
   function unfocus (el) {
@@ -320,11 +342,13 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
   }
 
   function fileRemoved (filepath) {
+    // @TODO: only important if currently visible in TreeView
     var li = getElement(filepath)
     if (li) li.parentElement.removeChild(li)
   }
 
   function fileRenamed (oldName, newName, isFolder) {
+    // @TODO: only important if currently visible in TreeView
     var li = getElement(oldName)
     if (li) {
       oldName = oldName.split('/')
@@ -346,6 +370,7 @@ function fileExplorer (appAPI, files) {
   }
 
   function fileAdded (filepath) {
+    // @TODO: only important if currently visible in TreeView
     self.files.resolveDirectory('./', (error, files) => {
       if (error) console.error(error)
       var element = self.treeView.render(files)
diff --git a/src/app/files/fileManager.js b/src/app/files/fileManager.js
index 29fb53f9ce..9a5875b650 100644
--- a/src/app/files/fileManager.js
+++ b/src/app/files/fileManager.js
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class FileManager {
   switchFile (file) {
     var self = this
     if (!file) {
-      self.opt.filesProviders['browser'].resolveDirectory('', (error, filesTree) => {
+      self.opt.filesProviders['browser'].resolveDirectory('/', (error, filesTree) => {
         if (error) console.error(error)
         var fileList = Object.keys(flatten(filesTree))
         if (fileList.length) {
diff --git a/src/app/files/shared-folder.js b/src/app/files/shared-folder.js
index 04bfc2f95e..6b82ffa349 100644
--- a/src/app/files/shared-folder.js
+++ b/src/app/files/shared-folder.js
@@ -2,52 +2,6 @@
 var EventManager = require('remix-lib').EventManager
 var pathtool = require('path')
 
-function buildList (self, path = '', callback) {
-  path = '' + (path || '')
-  self.remixd.dir(path, (error, filesList) => {
-    if (error) console.error(error)
-    var list = Object.keys(filesList)
-    var counter = list.length
-    var fileTree = {}
-    if (!counter) callback(null, fileTree)
-    for (var i = 0, name, len = counter; i < len; i++) {
-      name = list[i]
-      self.files[path] = path
-      if (filesList[name].isDirectory) {
-        setFolder(self, path, name, fileTree, finish)
-      } else {
-        setFileContent(self, path, name, fileTree, finish)
-      }
-    }
-    function finish (error) {
-      if (error) console.error(error)
-      counter--
-      if (!counter) callback(null, fileTree)
-    }
-  })
-}
-function setFolder (self, path, name, fileTree, done) {
-  buildList(self, name, (error, subFileTree) => {
-    if (error) console.error(error)
-    name = name.replace(path, '')
-    if (name[0] === '/') name = name.substring(1)
-    fileTree[name] = subFileTree
-    done(null)
-  })
-}
-function setFileContent (self, path, name, fileTree, done) {
-  self.remixd.read(name, (error, result) => {
-    if (error) console.error(error)
-    name = name.replace(path, '')
-    if (name[0] === '/') name = name.substring(1)
-    fileTree[name] = {
-      '/content': result.content,
-      '/readonly': result.readonly
-    }
-    done(null)
-  })
-}
-
 module.exports = class SharedFolder {
   constructor (remixd) {
     this.event = new EventManager()
@@ -195,18 +149,19 @@ module.exports = class SharedFolder {
   //   }
   // }
   //
-  resolveDirectory (path, callback) {
-    var self = this
-    path = '' + (path || '')
-    path = pathtool.join('./', path)
-    buildList(self, path, (error, fileTree) => {
-      if (error) return callback(error)
-      callback(null, { [self.type]: fileTree })
-    })
-  }
 
   removePrefix (path) {
-    return path.indexOf(this.type + '/') === 0 ? path.replace(this.type + '/', '') : path
+    path = path.indexOf(this.type) === 0 ? path.replace(this.type, '') : path
+    if (path[0] === '/') return path.substring(1)
+    return path
+  }
+
+  resolveDirectory (path, callback) {
+    var self = this
+    if (path[0] === '/') path = path.substring(1)
+    if (!path) return callback(null, { [self.type]: { } })
+    path = self.removePrefix('' + (path || ''))
+    self.remixd.dir(path, callback)
   }
 }