diff --git a/apps/files/js/app.js b/apps/files/js/app.js
index a6b656311d..0946820527 100644
--- a/apps/files/js/app.js
+++ b/apps/files/js/app.js
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 		 */
 		fileList: null,
 
+		currentFileList: null,
+
 		/**
 		 * Backbone model for storing files preferences
 		 */
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@
 					maxChunkSize: OC.appConfig.files && OC.appConfig.files.max_chunk_size
 				}
 			);
+			this.updateCurrentFileList(this.fileList)
 			this.files.initialize();
 
 			// for backward compatibility, the global FileList will
@@ -160,6 +163,28 @@
 			}
 		},
 
+		/**
+		 * Set the currently active file list
+		 *
+		 * Due to the file list implementations being registered after clicking the
+		 * navigation item for the first time, OCA.Files.App is not aware of those until
+		 * they have initialized themselves. Therefore the files list needs to call this
+		 * method manually
+		 *
+		 * @param {OCA.Files.FileList} newFileList
+		 */
+		updateCurrentFileList: function(newFileList) {
+			this.currentFileList = newFileList;
+		},
+
+		/**
+		 * Return the currently active file list
+		 * @return {?OCA.Files.FileList}
+		 */
+		getCurrentFileList: function () {
+			return this.currentFileList;
+		},
+
 		/**
 		 * Returns the container of the currently visible app.
 		 *
diff --git a/apps/files/js/filelist.js b/apps/files/js/filelist.js
index eee24b648f..5e6225a48e 100644
--- a/apps/files/js/filelist.js
+++ b/apps/files/js/filelist.js
@@ -434,6 +434,8 @@
 
 			OC.Plugins.attach('OCA.Files.FileList', this);
 
+			OCA.Files.App && OCA.Files.App.updateCurrentFileList(this);
+
 			this.initHeadersAndFooters()
 		},
 
@@ -738,6 +740,7 @@
 		 * Event handler when leaving previously hidden state
 		 */
 		_onShow: function(e) {
+			OCA.Files.App && OCA.Files.App.updateCurrentFileList(this);
 			if (this.shown) {
 				if (e.itemId === this.id) {
 					this._setCurrentDir('/', false);