diff --git a/src/core/kfileitem.h b/src/core/kfileitem.h
--- a/src/core/kfileitem.h
+++ b/src/core/kfileitem.h
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@
      */
     KFileItem(const QUrl &url, const QString &mimeType = QString(), mode_t mode = KFileItem::Unknown); // KF6 TODO: explicit!
 
+    KFileItem(const QUrl &url, bool skipStat);
+
     /**
      * Copy constructor
      */
diff --git a/src/core/kfileitem.cpp b/src/core/kfileitem.cpp
--- a/src/core/kfileitem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kfileitem.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
                      mode_t mode, mode_t permissions,
                      const QUrl &itemOrDirUrl,
                      bool urlIsDirectory,
-                     bool delayedMimeTypes)
+                     bool delayedMimeTypes,
+                     bool skipStat)
         : m_entry(entry),
           m_url(itemOrDirUrl),
           m_strName(),
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@
           m_delayedMimeTypes(delayedMimeTypes),
           m_useIconNameCache(false),
           m_hidden(Auto),
-          m_slow(SlowUnknown)
+          m_slow(SlowUnknown),
+          m_bSkipStat(skipStat)
     {
         if (entry.count() != 0) {
             readUDSEntry(urlIsDirectory);
@@ -174,6 +176,11 @@
     // For special case like link to dirs over FTP
     QString m_guessedMimeType;
     mutable QString m_access;
+
+    /**
+     * True if stat() should be skipped
+     */
+    bool m_bSkipStat: 1;
 };
 
 void KFileItemPrivate::init()
@@ -184,7 +191,7 @@
     // stat() local files if needed
     // TODO: delay this until requested
     if (m_fileMode == KFileItem::Unknown || m_permissions == KFileItem::Unknown || m_entry.count() == 0) {
-        if (m_url.isLocalFile()) {
+        if (m_url.isLocalFile() && !m_bSkipStat) {
             /* directories may not have a slash at the end if
              * we want to stat() them; it requires that we
              * change into it .. which may not be allowed
@@ -457,27 +464,34 @@
 
 KFileItem::KFileItem(const KIO::UDSEntry &entry, const QUrl &itemOrDirUrl,
                      bool delayedMimeTypes, bool urlIsDirectory)
-    : d(new KFileItemPrivate(entry, KFileItem::Unknown, KFileItem::Unknown, itemOrDirUrl, urlIsDirectory, delayedMimeTypes))
+    : d(new KFileItemPrivate(entry, KFileItem::Unknown, KFileItem::Unknown, itemOrDirUrl, urlIsDirectory, delayedMimeTypes, false))
 {
 }
 
 KFileItem::KFileItem(mode_t mode, mode_t permissions, const QUrl &url, bool delayedMimeTypes)
     : d(new KFileItemPrivate(KIO::UDSEntry(), mode, permissions,
-                             url, false, delayedMimeTypes))
+                             url, false, delayedMimeTypes, false))
 {
 }
 
 KFileItem::KFileItem(const QUrl &url, const QString &mimeType, mode_t mode)
     : d(new KFileItemPrivate(KIO::UDSEntry(), mode, KFileItem::Unknown,
-                             url, false, false))
+                             url, false, false, false))
 {
     d->m_bMimeTypeKnown = !mimeType.isEmpty();
     if (d->m_bMimeTypeKnown) {
         QMimeDatabase db;
         d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForName(mimeType);
     }
 }
 
+KFileItem::KFileItem(const QUrl &url, bool skipStat)
+    : d(new KFileItemPrivate(KIO::UDSEntry(), KFileItem::Unknown, KFileItem::Unknown,
+                             url, false, false, skipStat))
+{
+}
+
+
 // Default implementations for:
 // - Copy constructor
 // - Move constructor
@@ -730,7 +744,16 @@
         } else {
             bool isLocalUrl;
             const QUrl url = mostLocalUrl(&isLocalUrl);
-            d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(url);
+
+            if (d->m_bSkipStat) {
+                const QString scheme = url.scheme();
+                if (scheme.startsWith(QLatin1String("http")) || scheme == QLatin1String("mailto"))
+                    d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForName(QLatin1String("application/octet-stream"));
+
+                d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForFile(url.path(), QMimeDatabase::MatchMode::MatchExtension);
+            } else {
+                d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(url);
+            }
             // was:  d->m_mimeType = KMimeType::findByUrl( url, d->m_fileMode, isLocalUrl );
             // => we are no longer using d->m_fileMode for remote URLs.
             Q_ASSERT(d->m_mimeType.isValid());
@@ -1499,7 +1522,16 @@
             }
         } else {
             // ## d->m_fileMode isn't used anymore (for remote urls)
-            d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(url);
+            if (d->m_bSkipStat) {
+                const QString scheme = url.scheme();
+                if (scheme.startsWith(QLatin1String("http")) || scheme == QLatin1String("mailto"))
+                    d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForName(QLatin1String("application/octet-stream"));
+
+                d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForFile(url.path(), QMimeDatabase::MatchMode::MatchExtension);
+            }
+            else {
+                d->m_mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(url);
+            }
             d->m_bMimeTypeKnown = true;
         }
     }