diff --git a/apps/files_sharing/lib/helper.php b/apps/files_sharing/lib/helper.php
index ca60f62284..cffdc8887e 100644
--- a/apps/files_sharing/lib/helper.php
+++ b/apps/files_sharing/lib/helper.php
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
  */
 namespace OCA\Files_Sharing;
 
+use OC\Files\Filesystem;
 use OCP\Files\NotFoundException;
 
 class Helper {
@@ -205,14 +206,7 @@ class Helper {
 	}
 
 	public static function getUidAndFilename($filename) {
-		$uid = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getOwner($filename);
-		\OC\Files\Filesystem::initMountPoints($uid);
-		if ( $uid != \OCP\User::getUser() ) {
-			$info = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getFileInfo($filename);
-			$ownerView = new \OC\Files\View('/'.$uid.'/files');
-			$filename = $ownerView->getPath($info['fileid']);
-		}
-		return array($uid, $filename);
+		return Filesystem::getView()->getUidAndFilename($filename);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/apps/files_trashbin/lib/trashbin.php b/apps/files_trashbin/lib/trashbin.php
index fdca25ff45..ca3a8b178a 100644
--- a/apps/files_trashbin/lib/trashbin.php
+++ b/apps/files_trashbin/lib/trashbin.php
@@ -63,7 +63,11 @@ class Trashbin {
 	 * @param array $params
 	 */
 	public static function ensureFileScannedHook($params) {
-		self::getUidAndFilename($params['path']);
+		try {
+			self::getUidAndFilename($params['path']);
+		} catch (NotFoundException $e) {
+			// nothing to scan for non existing files
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -72,18 +76,7 @@ class Trashbin {
 	 * @throws \OC\User\NoUserException
 	 */
 	public static function getUidAndFilename($filename) {
-		$uid = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getOwner($filename);
-		\OC\Files\Filesystem::initMountPoints($uid);
-		if ($uid != \OCP\User::getUser()) {
-			$info = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getFileInfo($filename);
-			$ownerView = new \OC\Files\View('/' . $uid . '/files');
-			try {
-				$filename = $ownerView->getPath($info['fileid']);
-			} catch (NotFoundException $e) {
-				$filename = null;
-			}
-		}
-		return [$uid, $filename];
+		return Filesystem::getView()->getUidAndFilename($filename);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/apps/files_versions/lib/storage.php b/apps/files_versions/lib/storage.php
index 74bf8fea49..35b3110928 100644
--- a/apps/files_versions/lib/storage.php
+++ b/apps/files_versions/lib/storage.php
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@
 
 namespace OCA\Files_Versions;
 
+use OC\Files\Filesystem;
 use OCA\Files_Versions\AppInfo\Application;
 use OCA\Files_Versions\Command\Expire;
 use OCP\Lock\ILockingProvider;
-use OCP\Files\NotFoundException;
 
 class Storage {
 
@@ -81,18 +81,7 @@ class Storage {
 	 * @throws \OC\User\NoUserException
 	 */
 	public static function getUidAndFilename($filename) {
-		$uid = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getOwner($filename);
-		\OC\Files\Filesystem::initMountPoints($uid);
-		if ( $uid != \OCP\User::getUser() ) {
-			$info = \OC\Files\Filesystem::getFileInfo($filename);
-			$ownerView = new \OC\Files\View('/'.$uid.'/files');
-			try {
-				$filename = $ownerView->getPath($info['fileid']);
-			} catch (NotFoundException $e) {
-				$filename = null;
-			}
-		}
-		return [$uid, $filename];
+		return Filesystem::getView()->getUidAndFilename($filename);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -145,7 +134,12 @@ class Storage {
 			// to get the right target
 			$ext = pathinfo($filename, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
 			if ($ext === 'part') {
-				$filename = substr($filename, 0, strlen($filename)-5);
+				$filename = substr($filename, 0, strlen($filename) - 5);
+			}
+
+			// we only handle existing files
+			if (! Filesystem::file_exists($filename) || Filesystem::is_dir($filename)) {
+				return false;
 			}
 
 			list($uid, $filename) = self::getUidAndFilename($filename);
@@ -153,15 +147,8 @@ class Storage {
 			$files_view = new \OC\Files\View('/'.$uid .'/files');
 			$users_view = new \OC\Files\View('/'.$uid);
 
-			// check if filename is a directory
-			if($files_view->is_dir($filename)) {
-				return false;
-			}
-
-			// we should have a source file to work with, and the file shouldn't
-			// be empty
-			$fileExists = $files_view->file_exists($filename);
-			if (!($fileExists && $files_view->filesize($filename) > 0)) {
+			// no use making versions for empty files
+			if ($files_view->filesize($filename) === 0) {
 				return false;
 			}
 
@@ -648,6 +635,11 @@ class Storage {
 		$expiration = self::getExpiration();
 		
 		if($config->getSystemValue('files_versions', Storage::DEFAULTENABLED)=='true' && $expiration->isEnabled()) {
+
+			if (!Filesystem::file_exists($filename)) {
+				return false;
+			}
+
 			list($uid, $filename) = self::getUidAndFilename($filename);
 			if (empty($filename)) {
 				// file maybe renamed or deleted
diff --git a/lib/private/files/view.php b/lib/private/files/view.php
index 55b8da165e..d4cc24ae0f 100644
--- a/lib/private/files/view.php
+++ b/lib/private/files/view.php
@@ -1573,10 +1573,15 @@ class View {
 	 * Get the owner for a file or folder
 	 *
 	 * @param string $path
-	 * @return string
+	 * @return string the user id of the owner
+	 * @throws NotFoundException
 	 */
 	public function getOwner($path) {
-		return $this->basicOperation('getOwner', $path);
+		$info = $this->getFileInfo($path);
+		if (!$info) {
+			throw new NotFoundException($path . ' not found while trying to get owner');
+		}
+		return $info->getOwner()->getUID();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -2021,4 +2026,28 @@ class View {
 		}
 		return '';
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param string $filename
+	 * @return array
+	 * @throws \OC\User\NoUserException
+	 * @throws NotFoundException
+	 */
+	public function getUidAndFilename($filename) {
+		$info = $this->getFileInfo($filename);
+		if (!$info instanceof \OCP\Files\FileInfo) {
+			throw new NotFoundException($this->getAbsolutePath($filename) . ' not found');
+		}
+		$uid = $info->getOwner()->getUID();
+		if ($uid != \OCP\User::getUser()) {
+			Filesystem::initMountPoints($uid);
+			$ownerView = new View('/' . $uid . '/files');
+			try {
+				$filename = $ownerView->getPath($info['fileid']);
+			} catch (NotFoundException $e) {
+				throw new NotFoundException('File with id ' . $info['fileid'] . ' not found for user ' . $uid);
+			}
+		}
+		return [$uid, $filename];
+	}
 }