diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller.ex
index 722f51bd2..442e6a5a0 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller.ex
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ def install(%{body_params: params} = conn, _params) do
   end
 
   defp installed do
-    File.ls!(Pleroma.Frontend.dir())
+    frontend_directory = Pleroma.Frontend.dir()
+
+    if File.exists?(frontend_directory) do
+      File.ls!(frontend_directory)
+    else
+      []
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller_test.exs
index bc827cc12..200682ba9 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/admin_api/controllers/frontend_controller_test.exs
@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@ test "it lists available frontends", %{conn: conn} do
 
       refute Enum.any?(response, fn frontend -> frontend["installed"] == true end)
     end
+
+    test "it lists available frontends when no frontend folder was created yet", %{conn: conn} do
+      File.rm_rf(@dir)
+
+      response =
+        conn
+        |> get("/api/pleroma/admin/frontends")
+        |> json_response_and_validate_schema(:ok)
+
+      assert Enum.map(response, & &1["name"]) ==
+               Enum.map(Config.get([:frontends, :available]), fn {_, map} -> map["name"] end)
+
+      refute Enum.any?(response, fn frontend -> frontend["installed"] == true end)
+    end
   end
 
   describe "POST /api/pleroma/admin/frontends/install" do