diff --git a/src/core/knfsshare.cpp b/src/core/knfsshare.cpp
--- a/src/core/knfsshare.cpp
+++ b/src/core/knfsshare.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "knfsshare.h"
 
+#include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QtCore/QFile>
 #include <QtCore/QMutableStringListIterator>
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@
     KConfigGroup config(&knfsshare, "General");
     exportsFile = config.readPathEntry("exportsFile", QString());
 
-    if (QFile::exists(exportsFile)) {
+    if (!exportsFile.isEmpty() && QFileInfo::exists(exportsFile)) {
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@
 KNFSShare::KNFSShare()
     : d(new KNFSSharePrivate(this))
 {
-    if (QFile::exists(d->exportsFile)) {
+    if (!d->exportsFile.isEmpty() && QFileInfo::exists(d->exportsFile)) {
         KDirWatch::self()->addFile(d->exportsFile);
         connect(KDirWatch::self(), SIGNAL(dirty(QString)), this,
                 SLOT(_k_slotFileChange(QString)));
diff --git a/src/core/ksambashare.cpp b/src/core/ksambashare.cpp
--- a/src/core/ksambashare.cpp
+++ b/src/core/ksambashare.cpp
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@
     , d_ptr(new KSambaSharePrivate(this))
 {
     Q_D(const KSambaShare);
-    if (QFile::exists(d->userSharePath)) {
+    if (!d->userSharePath.isEmpty() && QFileInfo::exists(d->userSharePath)) {
         KDirWatch::self()->addDir(d->userSharePath, KDirWatch::WatchFiles);
         connect(KDirWatch::self(), SIGNAL(dirty(QString)), this,
                 SLOT(_k_slotFileChange(QString)));