diff --git a/lib/tfw/components/ide_event_handler.py b/lib/tfw/components/ide_event_handler.py
index 1f95780..b7bd790 100644
--- a/lib/tfw/components/ide_event_handler.py
+++ b/lib/tfw/components/ide_event_handler.py
@@ -111,8 +111,11 @@ class IdeEventHandler(EventHandlerBase, MonitorManagerMixin):
         :param exclude: list of filenames that should not appear between files (for *.o, *.pyc, etc.)
         """
         super().__init__(key)
-        self.filemanager = FileManager(allowed_directories=allowed_directories, working_directory=directory,
-                                       selected_file=selected_file, exclude=exclude)
+        try:
+            self.filemanager = FileManager(allowed_directories=allowed_directories, working_directory=directory,
+                                           selected_file=selected_file, exclude=exclude)
+        except IndexError:
+            raise EnvironmentError(f'No file(s) in IdeEventHandler working_directory "{directory}"!')
         MonitorManagerMixin.__init__(self, DirectoryMonitor, self.filemanager.workdir)
 
         self.commands = {'read':      self.read,