diff --git a/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/bundle.l10n.json b/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/bundle.l10n.json
index ecb3e216dc..987ad22afe 100644
--- a/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/bundle.l10n.json
+++ b/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/bundle.l10n.json
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@
   "Profile is not authenticated, please log in to continue": "Profile is not authenticated, please log in to continue",
   "Retrieving response from USS list API": "Retrieving response from USS list API",
   "The 'move' function is not implemented for this USS API.": "The 'move' function is not implemented for this USS API.",
+  "Could not list USS files: Empty path provided in URI": "Could not list USS files: Empty path provided in URI",
   "Profile does not exist for this file.": "Profile does not exist for this file.",
   "Saving USS file...": "Saving USS file...",
   "Renaming {0} failed due to API error: {1}/File pathError message": {
diff --git a/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/poeditor.json b/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/poeditor.json
index b1fc3285e6..3dcc072f79 100644
--- a/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/poeditor.json
+++ b/packages/zowe-explorer/l10n/poeditor.json
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@
   "Profile is not authenticated, please log in to continue": "",
   "Retrieving response from USS list API": "",
   "The 'move' function is not implemented for this USS API.": "",
+  "Could not list USS files: Empty path provided in URI": "",
   "Profile does not exist for this file.": "",
   "Saving USS file...": "",
   "Renaming {0} failed due to API error: {1}": "",
diff --git a/packages/zowe-explorer/src/trees/uss/UssFSProvider.ts b/packages/zowe-explorer/src/trees/uss/UssFSProvider.ts
index d73bd506e8..ab7f8722b9 100644
--- a/packages/zowe-explorer/src/trees/uss/UssFSProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/zowe-explorer/src/trees/uss/UssFSProvider.ts
@@ -129,18 +129,15 @@ export class UssFSProvider extends BaseProvider implements vscode.FileSystemProv
     public async listFiles(profile: imperative.IProfileLoaded, uri: vscode.Uri, keepRelative: boolean = false): Promise<IZosFilesResponse> {
         const queryParams = new URLSearchParams(uri.query);
         const ussPath = queryParams.has("searchPath") ? queryParams.get("searchPath") : uri.path.substring(uri.path.indexOf("/", 1));
-        let response: IZosFilesResponse;
-        try {
-            response = await ZoweExplorerApiRegister.getUssApi(profile).fileList(ussPath);
-            // If request was successful, create directories for the path if it doesn't exist
-            if (response.success && !keepRelative && response.apiResponse.items?.[0]?.mode?.startsWith("d") && !this.exists(uri)) {
-                await vscode.workspace.fs.createDirectory(uri.with({ query: "" }));
-            }
-        } catch (err) {
-            if (err instanceof Error) {
-                ZoweLogger.error(err.message);
-            }
-            throw err;
+        if (ussPath.length === 0) {
+            throw new imperative.ImperativeError({
+                msg: vscode.l10n.t("Could not list USS files: Empty path provided in URI"),
+            });
+        }
+        const response = await ZoweExplorerApiRegister.getUssApi(profile).fileList(ussPath);
+        // If request was successful, create directories for the path if it doesn't exist
+        if (response.success && !keepRelative && response.apiResponse.items?.[0]?.mode?.startsWith("d") && !this.exists(uri)) {
+            await vscode.workspace.fs.createDirectory(uri.with({ query: "" }));
         }
 
         return {