diff --git a/src/dolphinmainwindow.cpp b/src/dolphinmainwindow.cpp
index 8d580432f7..3d6f8489de 100644
--- a/src/dolphinmainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/dolphinmainwindow.cpp
@@ -307,16 +307,21 @@ void DolphinMainWindow::openNewTab(const QUrl& url)
 void DolphinMainWindow::openInNewTab()
 {
     const KFileItemList& list = m_activeViewContainer->view()->selectedItems();
-    if (list.isEmpty()) {
-        openNewTab(m_activeViewContainer->url());
-    } else {
-        foreach (const KFileItem& item, list) {
-            const QUrl& url = DolphinView::openItemAsFolderUrl(item);
-            if (!url.isEmpty()) {
-                openNewTab(url);
-            }
+    bool tabCreated = false;
+
+    foreach (const KFileItem& item, list) {
+        const QUrl& url = DolphinView::openItemAsFolderUrl(item);
+        if (!url.isEmpty()) {
+            openNewTab(url);
+            tabCreated = true;
         }
     }
+
+    // if no new tab has been created from the selection
+    // open the current directory in a new tab
+    if (!tabCreated) {
+        openNewTab(m_activeViewContainer->url());
+    }
 }
 
 void DolphinMainWindow::openInNewWindow()
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
index a959697710..3731895d0a 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ bool KItemListController::dropEvent(QGraphicsSceneDragDropEvent* event, const QT
         // Something has been dropped between two items.
         m_view->hideDropIndicator();
         emit aboveItemDropEvent(dropAboveIndex, event);
-    } else {
+    } else if (!event->mimeData()->hasFormat(m_model->blacklistItemDropEventMimeType())) {
         // Something has been dropped on an item or on an empty part of the view.
         emit itemDropEvent(m_view->itemAt(pos), event);
     }
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
index bf41b1c84b..ee7e81084a 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ bool KItemModelBase::supportsDropping(int index) const
     return false;
 }
 
+QString KItemModelBase::blacklistItemDropEventMimeType() const
+{
+    return QStringLiteral("application/x-dolphin-blacklist-drop");
+}
+
 void KItemModelBase::onGroupedSortingChanged(bool current)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(current);
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
index bd5ca1d652..45ad1f61ab 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemmodelbase.h
@@ -172,6 +172,16 @@ public:
     // decision whether it accepts the drop?
     virtual bool supportsDropping(int index) const;
 
+    /**
+     * @return An internal mimetype to signal that an itemDropEvent() should be rejected by
+     *         the receiving model.
+     *
+     *         This mimeType can be used in createMimeData() to notify that the
+     *         drop-onto-items events should be ignored, while the drop-between-items
+     *         ones should be still accepted.
+     */
+    QString blacklistItemDropEventMimeType() const;
+
 signals:
     /**
      * Is emitted if one or more items have been inserted. Each item-range consists
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistsmoothscroller.cpp b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistsmoothscroller.cpp
index cb1dd61ff4..6bfdba4c9a 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistsmoothscroller.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistsmoothscroller.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ KItemListSmoothScroller::KItemListSmoothScroller(QScrollBar* scrollBar,
     m_animation(0)
 {
     m_animation = new QPropertyAnimation(this);
-    const int duration = m_scrollBar->style()->styleHint(QStyle::SH_Widget_Animate, nullptr, m_scrollBar) ? 300 : 1;
+    const int duration = m_scrollBar->style()->styleHint(QStyle::SH_Widget_Animate, nullptr, m_scrollBar) ? 100 : 1;
     m_animation->setDuration(duration);
-    m_animation->setEasingCurve(QEasingCurve::InOutQuart);
     connect(m_animation, &QPropertyAnimation::stateChanged,
             this, &KItemListSmoothScroller::slotAnimationStateChanged);
 
diff --git a/src/panels/places/placesitemmodel.cpp b/src/panels/places/placesitemmodel.cpp
index a4741e7469..04dac81b73 100644
--- a/src/panels/places/placesitemmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/panels/places/placesitemmodel.cpp
@@ -376,6 +376,9 @@ QMimeData* PlacesItemModel::createMimeData(const KItemSet& indexes) const
     QMimeData* mimeData = new QMimeData();
     if (!urls.isEmpty()) {
         mimeData->setUrls(urls);
+    } else {
+        // #378954: prevent itemDropEvent() drops if there isn't a source url.
+        mimeData->setData(blacklistItemDropEventMimeType(), QByteArrayLiteral("true"));
     }
     mimeData->setData(internalMimeType(), itemData);