diff --git a/pkg/gui/filetree/commit_file_manager.go b/pkg/gui/filetree/commit_file_manager.go
index 3fd89b63e..e80528bcb 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/filetree/commit_file_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/filetree/commit_file_manager.go
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ func (m *CommitFileManager) ToggleCollapsed(path string) {
 }
 
 func (m *CommitFileManager) Render(diffName string, patchManager *patch.PatchManager) []string {
+	// can't rely on renderAux to check for nil because an interface won't be nil if its concrete value is nil
+	if m.tree == nil {
+		return []string{}
+	}
+
 	return renderAux(m.tree, m.collapsedPaths, "", -1, func(n INode, depth int) string {
 		castN := n.(*CommitFileNode)
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/filetree/file_manager.go b/pkg/gui/filetree/file_manager.go
index 6fd688bc2..2ea9915cc 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/filetree/file_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/filetree/file_manager.go
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ func (m *FileManager) ToggleCollapsed(path string) {
 }
 
 func (m *FileManager) Render(diffName string, submoduleConfigs []*models.SubmoduleConfig) []string {
+	// can't rely on renderAux to check for nil because an interface won't be nil if its concrete value is nil
+	if m.tree == nil {
+		return []string{}
+	}
+
 	return renderAux(m.tree, m.collapsedPaths, "", -1, func(n INode, depth int) string {
 		castN := n.(*FileNode)
 		return presentation.GetFileLine(castN.GetHasUnstagedChanges(), castN.GetHasStagedChanges(), castN.NameAtDepth(depth), diffName, submoduleConfigs, castN.File)
diff --git a/pkg/gui/filetree/inode.go b/pkg/gui/filetree/inode.go
index 4357f3a8a..cdbc82dcd 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/filetree/inode.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/filetree/inode.go
@@ -215,9 +215,6 @@ func getLeaves(node INode) []INode {
 
 func renderAux(s INode, collapsedPaths CollapsedPaths, prefix string, depth int, renderLine func(INode, int) string) []string {
 	isRoot := depth == -1
-	if s == nil {
-		return []string{}
-	}
 
 	renderLineWithPrefix := func() string {
 		return prefix + renderLine(s, depth)