diff --git a/src/views/dolphinview.cpp b/src/views/dolphinview.cpp
index 303731c6d4..71364e0451 100644
--- a/src/views/dolphinview.cpp
+++ b/src/views/dolphinview.cpp
@@ -1666,11 +1666,16 @@ void DolphinView::updateWritableState()
     const bool wasFolderWritable = m_isFolderWritable;
     m_isFolderWritable = false;
 
-    const KFileItem item = m_model->rootItem();
-    if (!item.isNull()) {
-        KFileItemListProperties capabilities(KFileItemList() << item);
-        m_isFolderWritable = capabilities.supportsWriting();
+    KFileItem item = m_model->rootItem();
+    if (item.isNull()) {
+        // Try to find out if the URL is writable even if the "root item" is
+        // null, see https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=330001
+        item = KFileItem(KFileItem::Unknown, KFileItem::Unknown, url(), true);
     }
+
+    KFileItemListProperties capabilities(KFileItemList() << item);
+    m_isFolderWritable = capabilities.supportsWriting();
+
     if (m_isFolderWritable != wasFolderWritable) {
         emit writeStateChanged(m_isFolderWritable);
     }