diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/dstore/universal/miners/filesystem/UniversalSearchHandler.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/dstore/universal/miners/filesystem/UniversalSearchHandler.java
index cb6ef126d42..e372dd17323 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/dstore/universal/miners/filesystem/UniversalSearchHandler.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/dstore/universal/miners/filesystem/UniversalSearchHandler.java
@@ -145,8 +145,17 @@ public class UniversalSearchHandler extends Thread implements ICancellableHandle
 		_isCancelled = true;
 	}
 
-	protected boolean hasSearchedDirectory(File file) {
-		return _alreadySearched.contains(file);
+	protected boolean hasSearchedDirectory(File file) 
+	{
+		try
+		{
+			return _alreadySearched.contains(file.getCanonicalFile());
+		}
+		catch (IOException e)
+		{
+			_dataStore.trace(e);
+			return _alreadySearched.contains(file);
+		}
 	}
 
 	protected void internalSearch(File theFile, int depth) {
@@ -256,7 +265,15 @@ public class UniversalSearchHandler extends Thread implements ICancellableHandle
 				
 				if (!hasSearchedDirectory(theFile)) {
 					
-					_alreadySearched.add(theFile);
+					try
+					{
+						_alreadySearched.add(theFile.getCanonicalFile());
+					}
+					catch (IOException e)
+					{
+						_dataStore.trace(e);
+						_alreadySearched.add(theFile);
+					}
 
 					File[] children = null;
 						
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.local/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/local/search/LocalSearchHandler.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.local/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/local/search/LocalSearchHandler.java
index 24e8203f380..b56f9cb8f6a 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.local/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/local/search/LocalSearchHandler.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.local/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/local/search/LocalSearchHandler.java
@@ -174,7 +174,14 @@ public class LocalSearchHandler implements ISearchHandler
 
 	private boolean hasSearchedDirectory(File file)
 	{
-		return _alreadySearched.contains(file);
+		try
+		{
+			return _alreadySearched.contains(file.getCanonicalFile());
+		}
+		catch (IOException e)
+		{
+			return _alreadySearched.contains(file);
+		}
 	}
 
 	private boolean internalSearch(File theFile, int depth, IHostFile context)
@@ -306,7 +313,14 @@ public class LocalSearchHandler implements ISearchHandler
 				if (!hasSearchedDirectory(theFile))
 				{
 
-					_alreadySearched.add(theFile);
+					try
+					{
+						_alreadySearched.add(theFile.getCanonicalFile());
+					}
+					catch (IOException e)
+					{
+						_alreadySearched.add(theFile);
+					}
 
 					File[] children = null;
 
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFileSubSystem.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFileSubSystem.java
index 50d56027890..a9a69aaee88 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFileSubSystem.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.subsystems.files.core/src/org/eclipse/rse/subsystems/files/core/subsystems/RemoteFileSubSystem.java
@@ -979,7 +979,8 @@ public abstract class RemoteFileSubSystem extends SubSystem implements IRemoteFi
 		for (int i = 0; i < folderOrFileNames.size(); i++)
 		{
 			String path = (String)folderOrFileNames.get(i);
-			results.addResource(getRemoteFileObject(path));
+			IRemoteFile nextFile = getRemoteFileObject(path);
+			if (nextFile != null) results.addResource(nextFile);
 		}
 		return results;
 	}