diff --git a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/MainWindowViewModel.cs b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/MainWindowViewModel.cs
index 775664c042..fb2b326c17 100644
--- a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/MainWindowViewModel.cs
+++ b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/MainWindowViewModel.cs
@@ -388,6 +388,13 @@ namespace Peek.UI
             IsErrorVisible = true;
         }
 
+        public void ShowError(string message)
+        {
+            IsErrorVisible = false;
+            ErrorMessage = message;
+            IsErrorVisible = true;
+        }
+
         private void NavigationThrottleTimer_Tick(object? sender, object e)
         {
             if (sender == null)
diff --git a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml
index f8e3166b0a..26dbb19b24 100644
--- a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@
             Item="{x:Bind ViewModel.CurrentItem, Mode=OneWay}"
             NumberOfFiles="{x:Bind ViewModel.DisplayItemCount, Mode=OneWay}"
             PreviewSizeChanged="FilePreviewer_PreviewSizeChanged"
-            ScalingFactor="{x:Bind ViewModel.ScalingFactor, Mode=OneWay}" />
+            ScalingFactor="{x:Bind ViewModel.ScalingFactor, Mode=OneWay}"
+            Visibility="{x:Bind ContentVisibility(ViewModel.IsErrorVisible), Mode=OneWay}" />
 
         <InfoBar
             x:Name="ErrorInfoBar"
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@
             Grid.RowSpan="2"
             Margin="4,0,4,6"
             VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
+            Closed="ErrorInfoBar_Closed"
             IsOpen="{x:Bind ViewModel.IsErrorVisible, Mode=TwoWay}"
             Message="{x:Bind ViewModel.ErrorMessage, Mode=OneWay}"
             Severity="Error" />
diff --git a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 2c8983c634..6e257cd73b 100644
--- a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/PeekXAML/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
 using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Input;
 using Peek.Common.Constants;
 using Peek.Common.Extensions;
+using Peek.Common.Helpers;
 using Peek.FilePreviewer.Models;
 using Peek.FilePreviewer.Previewers;
 using Peek.UI.Extensions;
@@ -195,6 +196,20 @@ namespace Peek.UI
             bootTime.Start();
 
             ViewModel.Initialize(selectedItem);
+
+            // If no files were found (e.g., in virtual folders like Home/Recent), show an error
+            if (ViewModel.CurrentItem == null)
+            {
+                Logger.LogInfo("Peek: No files found to preview, showing error.");
+                var errorMessage = ResourceLoaderInstance.ResourceLoader.GetString("NoFilesSelected");
+                ViewModel.ShowError(errorMessage);
+
+                // Still show the window so user can see the warning
+                this.Show();
+                WindowHelpers.BringToForeground(this.GetWindowHandle());
+                return;
+            }
+
             ViewModel.ScalingFactor = this.GetMonitorScale();
             this.Content.KeyUp += Content_KeyUp;
 
@@ -302,5 +317,24 @@ namespace Peek.UI
         {
             themeListener?.Dispose();
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns Visibility.Collapsed when error is showing, Visibility.Visible when not.
+        /// </summary>
+        public Visibility ContentVisibility(bool isErrorVisible)
+        {
+            return isErrorVisible ? Visibility.Collapsed : Visibility.Visible;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Handle InfoBar closed - if there's no current item, close the window.
+        /// </summary>
+        private void ErrorInfoBar_Closed(InfoBar sender, InfoBarClosedEventArgs args)
+        {
+            if (ViewModel.CurrentItem == null)
+            {
+                Uninitialize();
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw
index 26482bb75a..f3dbc0f54d 100644
--- a/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw
+++ b/src/modules/peek/Peek.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw
@@ -341,6 +341,10 @@
     <value>No more files to preview.</value>
     <comment>The message to show when there are no files remaining to preview.</comment>
   </data>
+  <data name="NoFilesSelected" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>No files selected or this folder is not supported for preview.</value>
+    <comment>Displayed when Peek is activated in a virtual folder (like Home or Recent) where file selection cannot be retrieved.</comment>
+  </data>
   <data name="DeleteFileError_NotFound" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The file cannot be found. Please check if the file has been moved, renamed, or deleted.</value>
     <comment>Displayed if the file or path was not found</comment>