diff --git a/file.php b/file.php
index 199f477..ce8452a 100644
--- a/file.php
+++ b/file.php
@@ -68,7 +68,15 @@ class file
   {
     $this->debug (2, "file_exists ($filename)");
     $filename = $this->realpath ($filename);
-    $this->checkPathRO (dirname ($filename));
+    try
+    {
+      $this->checkPathRO (dirname ($filename));
+    }
+    catch (\Exception $e)
+    {
+      if ($e->getCode () !== 404)
+        throw new \Exception ($e->getMessage (), $e->getCode ());
+    }
     if (file_exists ($filename) && ! is_link ($filename))
       return true;
     return false;
@@ -518,7 +526,6 @@ class file
     if (! file_exists ($path))
     {
       $this->debug (1, "checkPathRO ($path) => Path '$path' not found");
-      return $this->checkExternalPathRO ($path);
       throw new \Exception (sprintf (dgettext ("domframework",
                                                "Path '%s' not found"),
                                      $path), 404);