diff --git a/src/tsconfig.strictNullChecks.json b/src/tsconfig.strictNullChecks.json
index c7149ae71dd..bd567e6f4fb 100644
--- a/src/tsconfig.strictNullChecks.json
+++ b/src/tsconfig.strictNullChecks.json
@@ -508,6 +508,7 @@
 		"./vs/workbench/services/files/node/watcher/common.ts",
 		"./vs/workbench/services/files/node/watcher/nsfw/watcher.ts",
 		"./vs/workbench/services/files/node/watcher/unix/watcher.ts",
+		"./vs/workbench/services/files/test/electron-browser/utils.ts",
 		"./vs/workbench/services/hash/common/hashService.ts",
 		"./vs/workbench/services/hash/node/hashService.ts",
 		"./vs/workbench/services/issue/common/issue.ts",
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/files/test/electron-browser/utils.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/files/test/electron-browser/utils.ts
index a437d4068fc..d50470fb564 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/files/test/electron-browser/utils.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/files/test/electron-browser/utils.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
 
 import { IFileStat } from 'vs/platform/files/common/files';
 
-export function getByName(root: IFileStat, name: string): IFileStat {
+export function getByName(root: IFileStat, name: string): IFileStat | null {
+	if (root.children === undefined) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	for (let i = 0; i < root.children.length; i++) {
 		if (root.children[i].name === name) {
 			return root.children[i];