diff --git a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ErrorHandling.cs b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ErrorHandling.cs
index 9d3e1c49d..20203e00e 100644
--- a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ErrorHandling.cs
+++ b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ErrorHandling.cs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ void Start()
             vm.GalleryMargin = new Thickness(0, 0, 0, 0);
             vm.GetIndex = 0;
             vm.PlatformService.StopTaskbarProgress();
+            vm.IsLoading = false;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ImageIterator.cs b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ImageIterator.cs
index 8ed6e9210..d6474b13e 100644
--- a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ImageIterator.cs
+++ b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/ImageIterator.cs
@@ -584,7 +584,6 @@ void TryShowPreview(PreLoader.PreLoadValue preloadValue)
                     return;
                 }
 
-                SetTitleHelper.SetLoadingTitle(_vm);
                 _vm.IsLoading = true;
                 _vm.ImageSource = null;
                 _vm.SecondaryImageSource = null;
diff --git a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/NavigationHelper.cs b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/NavigationHelper.cs
index d573ad558..420270b39 100644
--- a/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/NavigationHelper.cs
+++ b/src/PicView.Avalonia/Navigation/NavigationHelper.cs
@@ -463,13 +463,38 @@ await Task.Run(async () =>
     /// <returns>A task representing the asynchronous operation.</returns>
     public static async Task LoadPicFromDirectoryAsync(string file, MainViewModel vm, FileInfo? fileInfo = null)
     {
+        vm.IsLoading = true;
+        SetTitleHelper.SetLoadingTitle(vm);
+        
         if (SettingsHelper.Settings.UIProperties.IsTaskbarProgressEnabled)
         {
             vm.PlatformService.StopTaskbarProgress();
         }
+        
         fileInfo ??= new FileInfo(file);
         vm.ImageIterator?.Dispose();
-        vm.ImageIterator = new ImageIterator(fileInfo, vm);
+        var fileList = await Task.FromResult(vm.PlatformService.GetFiles(fileInfo)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        if (fileList.Count <= 0)
+        {
+            // Attempt to reload with subdirectories and reset the setting
+            if (!SettingsHelper.Settings.Sorting.IncludeSubDirectories)
+            {
+                SettingsHelper.Settings.Sorting.IncludeSubDirectories = true;
+                fileList = await Task.FromResult(vm.PlatformService.GetFiles(fileInfo)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                if (fileList.Count <= 0)
+                {
+                    await ErrorHandling.ReloadAsync(vm).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    return;
+                }
+                SettingsHelper.Settings.Sorting.IncludeSubDirectories = false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                await ErrorHandling.ReloadAsync(vm).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        vm.ImageIterator = new ImageIterator(fileInfo, fileList, 0, vm);
         await vm.ImageIterator.IterateToIndex(0);
         await CheckAndReloadGallery(fileInfo, vm);
     }