diff --git extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.java extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.java
index 6d3ffb2..0b213dc 100644
--- extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.java
+++ extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.java
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public final class FileSystemI18n {
     public static I18n maxPathLengthExceeded;
     public static I18n couldNotStoreProperty;
     public static I18n couldNotStoreProperties;
+    public static I18n couldNotReadListOfFilesInDirectory;
 
     static {
         try {
diff --git extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemWorkspace.java extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemWorkspace.java
index 79896dc..8852553 100644
--- extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemWorkspace.java
+++ extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/java/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemWorkspace.java
@@ -527,7 +527,20 @@ class FileSystemWorkspace extends PathWorkspace<PathNode> implements NodeCaching
             if (file == null) return null;
 
             if (file.isDirectory()) {
-                String[] childNames = file.list(source.filenameFilter(true));
+                String[] childNames = null;
+                int attempts = 5;
+                while (childNames == null && (--attempts) >= 0) {
+                    // there must have been an I/O error, so try again ...
+                    childNames = file.list(source.filenameFilter(true));
+                }
+                if (childNames == null) {
+                    // Still null after multiple attempts; we can't really proceed.
+                    // Meaning the file/directory will not be mapped as a node ...
+                    Logger.getLogger(getClass()).error(FileSystemI18n.couldNotReadListOfFilesInDirectory,
+                                                       file.getAbsolutePath(),
+                                                       path.getString(registry));
+                    return null;
+                }
                 Arrays.sort(childNames);
 
                 List<Segment> childSegments = new ArrayList<Segment>(childNames.length);
diff --git extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.properties extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.properties
index 61e48a0..ed88f85 100644
--- extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.properties
+++ extensions/modeshape-connector-filesystem/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/connector/filesystem/FileSystemI18n.properties
@@ -95,3 +95,4 @@ getCanonicalPathFailed = Could not determine canonical path
 maxPathLengthExceeded = The maximum absolute path length ({0}) for source "{1}" was exceeded by the node at: {2} ({3})
 couldNotStoreProperty = Unable to store "{0}" property for the file "{1}" in the "{2}" file system source. Check the "extraProperties" setting for this source.
 couldNotStoreProperties = Unable to store the extra properties {0} for the file "{1}" in the "{2}" file system source. Check the "extraProperties" setting for this source.
+couldNotReadListOfFilesInDirectory = Unable to read the list of files/directories within the "{0}" directory; the node "{1}" will be hidden
\ No newline at end of file