diff --git a/cocoa/me/ResultWindow.m b/cocoa/me/ResultWindow.m
index 7f8a5b26..21cf5c39 100644
--- a/cocoa/me/ResultWindow.m
+++ b/cocoa/me/ResultWindow.m
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ http://www.hardcoded.net/licenses/hs_license
     [_py setMixFileKind:[ud objectForKey:@"mixFileKind"]];
     [_py setMatchSimilarWords:[ud objectForKey:@"matchSimilarWords"]];
     NSInteger r = n2i([py doScan]);
-    if (r == 1)
-        [Dialogs showMessage:@"You cannot make a duplicate scan with only reference directories."];
     if (r == 3)
     {
         [Dialogs showMessage:@"The selected directories contain no scannable file."];
diff --git a/cocoa/pe/ResultWindow.m b/cocoa/pe/ResultWindow.m
index 87500cd8..888cddd2 100644
--- a/cocoa/pe/ResultWindow.m
+++ b/cocoa/pe/ResultWindow.m
@@ -65,8 +65,6 @@ http://www.hardcoded.net/licenses/hs_license
     int r = n2i([py doScan]);
     if (r != 0)
         [[ProgressController mainProgressController] hide];
-    if (r == 1)
-        [Dialogs showMessage:@"You cannot make a duplicate scan with only reference directories."];
     if (r == 3)
     {
         [Dialogs showMessage:@"The selected directories contain no scannable file."];
diff --git a/cocoa/se/ResultWindow.m b/cocoa/se/ResultWindow.m
index 0a74b815..16da92de 100644
--- a/cocoa/se/ResultWindow.m
+++ b/cocoa/se/ResultWindow.m
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ http://www.hardcoded.net/licenses/hs_license
     int r = n2i([py doScan]);
     if (r != 0)
         [[ProgressController mainProgressController] hide];
-    if (r == 1)
-        [Dialogs showMessage:@"You cannot make a duplicate scan with only reference directories."];
     if (r == 3)
     {
         [Dialogs showMessage:@"The selected directories contain no scannable file."];
diff --git a/core/app.py b/core/app.py
index 4e1277af..206840a0 100644
--- a/core/app.py
+++ b/core/app.py
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ JOB_DELETE = 'job_delete'
 class NoScannableFileError(Exception):
     pass
 
-class AllFilesAreRefError(Exception):
-    pass
-
 class DupeGuru(RegistrableApplication, Broadcaster):
     DEMO_LIMIT_DESC = "In the demo version, only 10 duplicates per session can be sent to the recycle bin, moved or copied."
     
@@ -347,12 +344,8 @@ class DupeGuru(RegistrableApplication, Broadcaster):
             logging.info('Scanning %d files' % len(files))
             self.results.groups = self.scanner.GetDupeGroups(files, j)
         
-        files = self.directories.get_files()
-        first_file = first(files)
-        if first_file is None:
+        if not self.directories.has_any_file():
             raise NoScannableFileError()
-        if first_file.is_ref and all(f.is_ref for f in files):
-            raise AllFilesAreRefError()
         self.results.groups = []
         self._start_job(JOB_SCAN, do)
     
diff --git a/core/app_cocoa.py b/core/app_cocoa.py
index 3ef49c3d..4807ffb6 100644
--- a/core/app_cocoa.py
+++ b/core/app_cocoa.py
@@ -76,6 +76,4 @@ class DupeGuru(app.DupeGuru):
             return 0
         except app.NoScannableFileError:
             return 3
-        except app.AllFilesAreRefError:
-            return 1
     
diff --git a/core/directories.py b/core/directories.py
index 19365409..4524558a 100644
--- a/core/directories.py
+++ b/core/directories.py
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ class Directories(object):
         else:
             return STATE_NORMAL
     
+    def has_any_file(self):
+        try:
+            next(self.get_files())
+            return True
+        except StopIteration:
+            return False
+    
     def load_from_file(self, infile):
         try:
             root = ET.parse(infile).getroot()
diff --git a/core_pe/app_cocoa.py b/core_pe/app_cocoa.py
index 375c79b4..39c78046 100644
--- a/core_pe/app_cocoa.py
+++ b/core_pe/app_cocoa.py
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ class Directories(directories.Directories):
         else:
             directories.Directories.add_path(self, path)
     
+    def has_any_file(self):
+        # If we don't do that, it causes a hangup in the GUI when we click Start Scanning because
+        # checking if there's any file to scan involves reading the whole library. If we have the
+        # iPhoto library, we assume we have at least one file.
+        if any(path == Path('iPhoto Library') for path in self._dirs):
+            return True
+        else:
+            return directories.Directories.has_any_file(self)
+    
 
 class DupeGuruPE(app_cocoa.DupeGuru):
     def __init__(self):
diff --git a/qt/base/main_window.py b/qt/base/main_window.py
index 5399d2bb..922c48d8 100644
--- a/qt/base/main_window.py
+++ b/qt/base/main_window.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from PyQt4.QtGui import (QMainWindow, QMenu, QPixmap, QIcon, QToolButton, QLabel
 
 from hsutil.misc import nonone
 
-from core.app import NoScannableFileError, AllFilesAreRefError
+from core.app import NoScannableFileError
 
 from . import dg_rc
 from .main_window_ui import Ui_MainWindow
@@ -271,9 +271,6 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
             msg = "The selected directories contain no scannable file."
             QMessageBox.warning(self, title, msg)
             self.app.show_directories()
-        except AllFilesAreRefError:
-            msg = "You cannot make a duplicate scan with only reference directories."
-            QMessageBox.warning(self, title, msg)
     
     def showHelpTriggered(self):
         self.app.show_help()