diff --git a/collect_app/src/main/java/org/odk/collect/android/provider/InstanceProvider.java b/collect_app/src/main/java/org/odk/collect/android/provider/InstanceProvider.java
index a04b1e2bde8..3cd7a9dbb18 100644
--- a/collect_app/src/main/java/org/odk/collect/android/provider/InstanceProvider.java
+++ b/collect_app/src/main/java/org/odk/collect/android/provider/InstanceProvider.java
@@ -224,10 +224,12 @@ private void deleteAllFilesInDirectory(File directory) {
 
                 // delete all the files in the directory
                 File[] files = directory.listFiles();
-                for (File f : files) {
-                    // should make this recursive if we get worried about
-                    // the media directory containing directories
-                    f.delete();
+                if (files != null) {
+                    for (File f : files) {
+                        // should make this recursive if we get worried about
+                        // the media directory containing directories
+                        f.delete();
+                    }
                 }
             }
             directory.delete();