diff --git a/src/directory.rs b/src/directory.rs
index b2497e5..1809b17 100644
--- a/src/directory.rs
+++ b/src/directory.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 mod display;
 mod item;
+mod constructors;
 
-use std::fs::{remove_dir_all, remove_file, rename, DirBuilder, File};
-use std::io::Error;
+use std::fs::{read_dir, remove_dir_all, remove_file, rename, DirBuilder, File};
+use std::io::{Error, ErrorKind};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use tui::widgets::{Block, Borders, List, ListItem};
@@ -23,16 +24,14 @@ pub struct Directory {
 }
 impl Directory {
     pub fn new(root: String) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        DirBuilder::new()
-            .recursive(true)
-            .create(&root)?;
-
-        Ok(Self {
-            dirs: vec![Item::new(root, 0, false)],
-            src_name: None,
-            selection: 0,
-            editing: false,
-        })
+        match read_dir(&root) {
+            Ok(d) => constructors::new_from_existing(root, d),
+            Err(e) => if e.kind() == ErrorKind::NotFound {
+                constructors::create_new(root)
+            } else {
+                Err(e)
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn path(&self) -> PathBuf {
diff --git a/src/directory/constructors.rs b/src/directory/constructors.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..936b7f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/directory/constructors.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+use super::{Directory, Item};
+
+use std::fs::{read_dir, DirBuilder, ReadDir};
+use std::io::{Error, ErrorKind};
+
+pub(super) fn create_new(root: String) -> Result<Directory, Error> {
+    DirBuilder::new()
+        .recursive(true)
+        .create(&root)?;
+
+    Ok(Directory {
+        dirs: vec![Item::new(root, 0, false)],
+        src_name: None,
+        selection: 0,
+        editing: false,
+    })
+}
+
+pub(super) fn new_from_existing(root: String, d: ReadDir) -> Result<Directory, Error> {
+    let mut dirs = vec![Item::new(root, 0, false)];
+
+    add_items(&mut dirs, 1, d)?;
+
+    Ok(Directory {
+        dirs,
+        src_name: None,
+        selection: 0,
+        editing: false,
+    })
+}
+
+fn add_items(out: &mut Vec<Item>, depth: u8, d: ReadDir) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    for item in d {
+        let item = item?;
+        let name = item.file_name()
+            .into_string()
+            .map_err(|_| Error::new(ErrorKind::InvalidFilename, "could not display file name"))?;
+        
+        match read_dir(item.path()) {
+            Ok(read) => {
+                out.push( Item::new(name, depth, false) );
+                add_items(out, depth+1, read)?;
+            },
+            Err(e) => if e.kind() == ErrorKind::NotADirectory {
+                out.push( Item::new(name, depth, true) );
+            } else {
+                return Err(e);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index acb9b10..5a08c6e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#![feature(io_error_more)]
+
 mod args;
 mod command;
 mod command_output;