--- a/libgui/src/files-dock-widget.cc	Tue Aug 15 15:53:15 2017 -0700
+++ b/libgui/src/files-dock-widget.cc	Wed Aug 16 08:19:16 2017 +0200
@@ -665,9 +665,13 @@
         {
           new_name = path.absolutePath () + '/' + new_name;
           old_name = path.absolutePath () + '/' + old_name;
-          emit file_remove_signal (old_name, new_name);  // editor: close old
-          path.rename (old_name, new_name);
-          emit file_renamed_signal ();  // editor: load new file
+          // editor: close old
+          emit file_remove_signal (old_name, new_name);
+          // Do the renaming
+          bool st = path.rename (old_name, new_name);
+          // editor: load new/old file depending on success
+          emit file_renamed_signal (st);
+          // Clear cache of file browser
           _file_system_model->revert ();
         }
     }
@@ -709,9 +713,11 @@
             {
               // Close the file in the editor if open
               emit file_remove_signal (info.filePath (), QString ());
-              // Remove the file. This operation might fail, but we will not
-              // reopen a possibly related editor tab in this case.
-              _file_system_model->remove (index);
+              // Remove the file.
+              bool st = _file_system_model->remove (index);
+              // reload the old file if removing was not successful
+              if (! st)
+                emit file_renamed_signal (false);
             }
 
           _file_system_model->revert ();

--- a/libgui/src/files-dock-widget.h	Tue Aug 15 15:53:15 2017 -0700
+++ b/libgui/src/files-dock-widget.h	Wed Aug 16 08:19:16 2017 +0200
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
   void file_remove_signal (const QString& old_name, const QString& new_name);
 
   /** Emitted, when a file or directory is renamed. */
-  void file_renamed_signal (void);
+  void file_renamed_signal (bool);
 
 private:
   void process_new_file (const QString& parent_name);

--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor.cc	Tue Aug 15 15:53:15 2017 -0700
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor.cc	Wed Aug 16 08:19:16 2017 +0200
@@ -589,6 +589,9 @@
 file_editor::handle_file_remove (const QString& old_name,
                                  const QString& new_name)
 {
+  // Clear old lsit of files to reload
+  _tmp_closed_files.clear ();
+
   // Check if old name is a file or directory
   QFileInfo old (old_name);
   if (old.isDir ())
@@ -609,25 +612,21 @@
       editor_tab->file_has_changed (QString (), true);  // Close the tab
       _no_focus = false;  // Back to normal
 
+      _tmp_closed_files << old_name;  // for reloading if error removing
+
       if (! new_name.isEmpty ())
+        _tmp_closed_files << new_name;  // store new name
+      else
+        _tmp_closed_files << ""; // no new name, just removing this file
+
+      // Get and store the related encoding
+      for (editor_tab_map_const_iterator p = editor_tab_map.begin ();
+           p != editor_tab_map.end (); p++)
         {
-          // New name is set, store new name and its encoding
-          // loading this file after the renaming is complete.
-          // The new name is not signaled after the renaming for being able
-          // to use this construct for renaming a whole directory, too.
-
-          _tmp_closed_files = QStringList ();
-          _tmp_closed_files << new_name;
-
-          // Get and store the related encoding
-          for (editor_tab_map_const_iterator p = editor_tab_map.begin ();
-               p != editor_tab_map.end (); p++)
+          if (editor_tab == p->second.fet_ID)
             {
-              if (editor_tab == p->second.fet_ID)
-                {
-                  _tmp_closed_files << p->second.encoding;
-                  break;
-                }
+              _tmp_closed_files << p->second.encoding;
+              break;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -646,8 +645,6 @@
   emit fetab_file_name_query (nullptr);
 
   // Loop over all open files and pick those within old_dir
-  _tmp_closed_files = QStringList ();
-
   for (editor_tab_map_const_iterator p = editor_tab_map.begin ();
        p != editor_tab_map.end (); p++)
     {
@@ -663,6 +660,8 @@
           editor_tab->file_has_changed (QString (), true);  // Close
           _no_focus = false;  // Back to normal
 
+          // Store file for possible later reload
+          _tmp_closed_files << p->first;
 
           // Add the new file path and the encoding for later reloading
           // if new_name is given
@@ -670,20 +669,26 @@
             {
               QDir new_dir (new_name);
               _tmp_closed_files << new_dir.absoluteFilePath (rel_path_to_file);
-              _tmp_closed_files << p->second.encoding;
             }
+          else
+            _tmp_closed_files << ""; // no new name, just removing this file
+
+          _tmp_closed_files << p->second.encoding; // store the encoding
         }
     }
 }
 
 // Slot for signal indicating that a file was renamed
 void
-file_editor::handle_file_renamed ()
+file_editor::handle_file_renamed (bool load_new)
 {
   _no_focus = true;  // Remember for not focussing editor
-  for (int i = 0; i < _tmp_closed_files.count (); i = i + 2)
-    request_open_file (_tmp_closed_files.at (i),
-                       _tmp_closed_files.at (i+1));
+  for (int i = 0; i < _tmp_closed_files.count (); i = i + 3)
+    {
+      if (! _tmp_closed_files.at (i + load_new).isEmpty ())
+        request_open_file (_tmp_closed_files.at (i + load_new),
+                           _tmp_closed_files.at (i+2));
+    }
   _no_focus = false;  // Back to normal focus
 }
 

--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor.h	Tue Aug 15 15:53:15 2017 -0700
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/file-editor.h	Wed Aug 16 08:19:16 2017 +0200
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
   void handle_edit_file_request (const QString& file);
 
   void handle_file_remove (const QString&, const QString&);
-  void handle_file_renamed (void);
+  void handle_file_renamed (bool load_new = true);
 
   // Tells the editor to react on changed settings.
   void notice_settings (const QSettings *settings);
@@ -475,7 +475,10 @@
   QStringList _mru_files;
   QStringList _mru_files_encodings;
 
-  // List of temporarily closed files while they are renamed
+  // List of temporarily closed files for later reloading.
+  // Order: first closed old file
+  //        first new location of closed file
+  //        encoding to use for reload
   QStringList _tmp_closed_files;
 };
 

--- a/libgui/src/main-window.cc	Tue Aug 15 15:53:15 2017 -0700
+++ b/libgui/src/main-window.cc	Wed Aug 16 08:19:16 2017 +0200
@@ -1819,8 +1819,8 @@
                SIGNAL (file_remove_signal (const QString&, const QString&)),
                editor_window,
                SLOT (handle_file_remove (const QString&, const QString&)));
-      connect (file_browser_window, SIGNAL (file_renamed_signal (void)),
-               editor_window, SLOT (handle_file_renamed (void)));
+      connect (file_browser_window, SIGNAL (file_renamed_signal (bool)),
+               editor_window, SLOT (handle_file_renamed (bool)));
 #endif
 
       octave_link::post_event (this,