diff --git a/twander.py b/twander.py
index 11a5086..2d25c7a 100755
--- a/twander.py
+++ b/twander.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 
 PROGNAME = "twander"
-RCSID = "$Id: twander.py,v 1.63 2002/11/19 09:31:43 tundra Exp $"
+RCSID = "$Id: twander.py,v 1.64 2002/11/19 10:06:07 tundra Exp $"
 VERSION = RCSID.split()[2]
 
 
@@ -159,14 +159,15 @@
 
 # Errors
 
-eBADROOT = " %s Is Not A Directory"
-eDIRRD   = "Cannot Open Directory : %s  ---  Check Permissions."
-eDUPKEY  = "Duplicate Key In Configuration File Found In Entry: \'%s\'"
-eERROR   = "ERROR"
-eNOCONF  = "Cannot Find Configuration File: %s"
-eNOENV   = "Configuration File References Undefined Environment Variable: %s"
-eOPEN    = "Cannot Open File: %s"
-eTOOMANY = "You Can Only Specify One Starting Directory."
+eBADROOT    = " %s Is Not A Directory"
+eDIRRD      = "Cannot Open Directory : %s  ---  Check Permissions."
+eDUPKEY     = "Duplicate Key In Configuration File Found In Entry: \'%s\'"
+eERROR      = "ERROR"
+eINITDIRBAD = "Cannot Open Starting Directory : %s - Check Permissions - ABORTING!."
+eNOCONF     = "Cannot Find Configuration File: %s"
+eNOENV      = "Configuration File References Undefined Environment Variable: %s"
+eOPEN       = "Cannot Open File: %s"
+eTOOMANY    = "You Can Only Specify One Starting Directory."
 
 # Prompts
 
@@ -717,10 +718,32 @@
 #####
 
 def LoadDirList(newdir, save=TRUE):
-    
-    # Canonicalize the current directory name
+
+    # Get path into canonical form
     newdir = os.path.abspath(newdir)
 
+    # Make sure newdir properly terminated
+    if newdir[-1] != PSEP:
+        newdir += PSEP
+
+    # Check right now to see if we can read
+    # the directory.  If not, at least we
+    # haven't screwed up the widget's current
+    # contents or program state.
+
+    try:
+        contents = BuildDirList(newdir)
+    except:
+        # If CurrentDir set, we're still there: error w/ recovery
+        if UI.CurrentDir:
+            ErrMsg(eDIRRD % newdir)
+            return
+
+        # If not, we failed on the initial directory: error & abort
+        else:
+            ErrMsg(eINITDIRBAD % newdir)
+            sys.exit(1)
+
     # Push last directory visited onto the visited stack
 
     # Do not do this if we've been told not to OR if
@@ -739,15 +762,11 @@
     # And select new directory to visit
     UI.CurrentDir = newdir
 
-    # And make sure it ends with a path separator character
-    if UI.CurrentDir[-1] != PSEP:
-        UI.CurrentDir = UI.CurrentDir + PSEP
-
     # Clear out the old contents
     UI.DirList.delete(0,END)
 
     # Load new directory contents into UI
-    for x in BuildDirList(UI.CurrentDir):
+    for x in contents:
         UI.DirList.insert(END, x)
 
     # And update the title to reflect changes
@@ -766,41 +785,12 @@
     dList, fList = [], []
     
     # Walk the directory separate subdirs and files
-    try:
-        for file in os.listdir(currentdir):
-            if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(currentdir,file)):
-                dList.append(DIR_LDELIM + file + DIR_RDELIM)
-            else:
-                fList.append(file)
-    except:
-        # Can't read selected directory - show error
-        ErrMsg(eDIRRD % currentdir)
-
-        # By setting this to null, we assure that it never gets pushed
-        UI.CurrentDir = ""
-
-        # If there was a previous dir, go there
-        if UI.LastDir:
-
-            # Get the previous directory
-            curdir = UI.LastDir.pop()
-
-            # Make it look like we are coming from the one before that
-            if UI.LastDir:
-                UI.CurrentDir = UI.LastDir.pop()
-
-            # Now go there
-            LoadDirList(curdir)
-
-        # If no previous directory, we failed on pgm startup - abort
+    for file in os.listdir(currentdir):
+        if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(currentdir,file)):
+            dList.append(DIR_LDELIM + file + DIR_RDELIM)
         else:
-            sys.exit(1)
-            
+            fList.append(file)
 
-        # Satisfy the original call
-        return []
-
-    # Directory read was fine
     dList.sort()
 
     # Entry to move up one directory is always first,