diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_DirectoryContentsList.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_DirectoryContentsList.cpp
index 134e451191..0aeef06267 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_DirectoryContentsList.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_DirectoryContentsList.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace juce
 {
 
 DirectoryContentsList::DirectoryContentsList (const FileFilter* f, TimeSliceThread& t)
-   : fileFilter (f), thread (t)
+    : fileFilter (f), thread (t)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileBrowserComponent.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileBrowserComponent.cpp
index 39f337f4c5..0aa38321de 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileBrowserComponent.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileBrowserComponent.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ FileBrowserComponent::FileBrowserComponent (int flags_,
         filename = initialFileOrDirectory.getFileName();
     }
 
+    // The thread must be started before the DirectoryContentsList attempts to scan any file
+    thread.startThread (4);
+
     fileList.reset (new DirectoryContentsList (this, thread));
     fileList->setDirectory (currentRoot, true, true);
 
@@ -122,8 +125,6 @@ FileBrowserComponent::FileBrowserComponent (int flags_,
     if (filename.isNotEmpty())
         setFileName (filename);
 
-    thread.startThread (4);
-
     startTimer (2000);
 }