diff --git a/lucene/luke/src/java/org/apache/lucene/luke/app/desktop/components/dialog/menubar/OpenIndexDialogFactory.java b/lucene/luke/src/java/org/apache/lucene/luke/app/desktop/components/dialog/menubar/OpenIndexDialogFactory.java
index d7270551638b..e3cd1c45c7a7 100644
--- a/lucene/luke/src/java/org/apache/lucene/luke/app/desktop/components/dialog/menubar/OpenIndexDialogFactory.java
+++ b/lucene/luke/src/java/org/apache/lucene/luke/app/desktop/components/dialog/menubar/OpenIndexDialogFactory.java
@@ -293,7 +293,11 @@ private File getLastOpenedDirectory() {
       if (!history.isEmpty()) {
         Path path = Paths.get(history.get(0));
         if (Files.exists(path)) {
-          return path.getParent().toAbsolutePath().toFile();
+          if (path.getParent() != null) {
+            return path.getParent().toAbsolutePath().toFile();
+          } else {
+            return path.toAbsolutePath().toFile();
+          }
         }
       }
       return null;