diff --git a/src/ExcludeFolders/modals/WhitelistedFoldersSettings.ts b/src/ExcludeFolders/modals/WhitelistedFoldersSettings.ts
index b00342d..43d5cce 100644
--- a/src/ExcludeFolders/modals/WhitelistedFoldersSettings.ts
+++ b/src/ExcludeFolders/modals/WhitelistedFoldersSettings.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export default class WhitelistedFoldersSettings extends Modal {
 						this.plugin.settingsTab, contentEl, whitelistedFolder,
 					);
 					addWhitelistedFolder(this.plugin, whitelistedFolder);
-					this.settingsTab.display();
+					this.settingsTab.renderSettingsPage(this.settingsTab.plugin.settings.settingsTab);
 				});
 			});
 
diff --git a/src/functions/folderNoteFunctions.ts b/src/functions/folderNoteFunctions.ts
index 69e1830..e91d750 100644
--- a/src/functions/folderNoteFunctions.ts
+++ b/src/functions/folderNoteFunctions.ts
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ export async function deleteFolderNote(
 	if (!folder) return;
 
 	plugin.settings.excludeFolders = plugin.settings.excludeFolders.filter(
-		(excludedFolder) => (excludedFolder.path !== folder.path) && excludedFolder.showFolderNote);
+		(excludedFolder) => (excludedFolder.path !== folder.path) || !excludedFolder.showFolderNote);
 	plugin.saveSettings(false);
 
 	removeCSSClassFromFileExplorerEL(folder.path, 'has-folder-note', false, plugin);
diff --git a/src/functions/styleFunctions.ts b/src/functions/styleFunctions.ts
index a99c6b8..4e99d42 100644
--- a/src/functions/styleFunctions.ts
+++ b/src/functions/styleFunctions.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ import type FolderOverviewPlugin from 'src/obsidian-folder-overview/src/main';
  * @description Refreshes the CSS classes for all folder notes in the file explorer.
  */
 export function refreshAllFolderStyles(forceReload = false, plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): void {
-	if (plugin.activeFileExplorer === getFileExplorer(plugin) && !forceReload) { return; }
-	plugin.activeFileExplorer = getFileExplorer(plugin);
+	const fileExplorer = getFileExplorer(plugin);
+	if (!fileExplorer) { return; }
+	if (plugin.activeFileExplorer === fileExplorer && !forceReload) { return; }
+	plugin.activeFileExplorer = fileExplorer;
 	plugin.app.vault.getAllLoadedFiles().forEach(async (file) => {
 		if (file instanceof TFolder) {
 			await updateCSSClassesForFolder(file.path, plugin);
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ export function showFolderNoteInFileExplorer(path: string, plugin: FolderNotesPl
 
 export function hideFolderNoteInFileExplorer(folderPath: string, plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): void {
 	plugin.settings.excludeFolders = plugin.settings.excludeFolders.filter(
-		(folder) => (folder.path !== folderPath) && folder.showFolderNote);
+		(folder) => (folder.path !== folderPath) || !folder.showFolderNote);
 	plugin.saveSettings(false);
 	removeCSSClassFromFileExplorerEL(folderPath, 'show-folder-note-in-explorer', true, plugin);
 	updateCSSClassesForFolder(folderPath, plugin);
diff --git a/src/functions/utils.ts b/src/functions/utils.ts
index cca1363..be765f2 100644
--- a/src/functions/utils.ts
+++ b/src/functions/utils.ts
@@ -42,15 +42,17 @@ export function getParentFolderPath(path: string): string {
 
 export function getFileExplorer(
 	plugin: FolderNotesPlugin | FolderOverviewPlugin,
-): FileExplorerWorkspaceLeaf {
+): FileExplorerWorkspaceLeaf | undefined {
 	// eslint-disable-next-line max-len
 	let leaf = plugin.app.workspace.getLeavesOfType('file-explorer')[0] as unknown as FileExplorerWorkspaceLeaf;
 
+	if (!leaf) { return undefined; }
+
 	/* make.md plugin integration */
-	if (leaf.containerEl.lastChild.dataset.type == 'mk-path-view') {
+	if ((leaf.containerEl?.lastChild as HTMLElement)?.dataset?.type == 'mk-path-view') {
 		plugin.app.workspace.iterateAllLeaves((x) => {
-			if (x.tabHeaderEl.dataset.type == 'file-explorer') {
-				leaf = x;
+			if ((x as FileExplorerWorkspaceLeaf).tabHeaderEl?.dataset?.type == 'file-explorer') {
+				leaf = x as FileExplorerWorkspaceLeaf;
 			}
 		});
 	}
@@ -58,12 +60,13 @@ export function getFileExplorer(
 	return leaf;
 }
 
-export function getFileExplorerView(plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): FileExplorerView {
-	return getFileExplorer(plugin).view;
+export function getFileExplorerView(plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): FileExplorerView | undefined {
+	return getFileExplorer(plugin)?.view;
 }
 
 export function getFocusedItem(plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): TreeNode<FileTreeItem> | null {
-	const fileExplorer = getFileExplorer(plugin) as unknown as FileExplorerLeaf;
+	const fileExplorer = getFileExplorer(plugin) as unknown as FileExplorerLeaf | undefined;
+	if (!fileExplorer) { return null; }
 	const { focusedItem } = fileExplorer.view.tree;
 	return focusedItem;
 }
diff --git a/src/settings/ExcludedFoldersSettings.ts b/src/settings/ExcludedFoldersSettings.ts
index b8b9345..55e5c7e 100644
--- a/src/settings/ExcludedFoldersSettings.ts
+++ b/src/settings/ExcludedFoldersSettings.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export async function renderExcludeFolders(settingsTab: SettingsTab): Promise<vo
 				);
 				addExcludeFolderListItem(settingsTab, containerEl, excludedFolder);
 				addExcludedFolder(settingsTab.plugin, excludedFolder);
-				settingsTab.display();
+				settingsTab.renderSettingsPage(settingsTab.plugin.settings.settingsTab);
 			});
 		});