diff --git a/src/vs/platform/files/common/files.ts b/src/vs/platform/files/common/files.ts
index af9328244731b877cf46b7fde6f61e668487bf38..4d750acc6f8eb1eff9cbfd12727961834288fee8 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/files/common/files.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/files/common/files.ts
@@ -290,12 +290,16 @@ export class FileChangesEvent extends events.Event {
 	}
 }
 
-export function isEqual(path1: string, path2: string) {
+export function isEqual(path1: string, path2: string): boolean {
 	const identityEquals = (path1 === path2);
 	if (isLinux || identityEquals) {
 		return identityEquals;
 	}
 
+	if (path1.length !== path2.length) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	return path1.toLowerCase() === path2.toLowerCase();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
index 084fdd8ec599f6ddfc363f77415129d49701d82b..fcdf3bfb8f2deda697685ffe9ae1af79986f43b1 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
@@ -396,6 +396,10 @@ export class ExplorerView extends CollapsibleViewletView {
 	}
 
 	private onFileOperation(e: FileOperationEvent): void {
+		if (!this.root) {
+			return; // ignore if not yet created
+		}
+
 		let modelElement: FileStat;
 		let parent: FileStat;
 		let parentResource: URI;