diff --git a/DataProcessingTools/objects.py b/DataProcessingTools/objects.py
index fd6a567..e0c63b7 100644
--- a/DataProcessingTools/objects.py
+++ b/DataProcessingTools/objects.py
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
     def create(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.dirs = kwargs.get("dirs", [os.getcwd()])
+        self.setidx = []
         if self.dirs:
             normpath = kwargs.get("normpath", True)
             if normpath:
                 self.dirs = [levels.normpath(d) for d in self.dirs]
-            self.setidx = []
             self.plotopts = {"indexer": self.level}
             self.indexer = self.getindex(self.level)
             self.current_idx = None
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ def processDirs(dirs, objtype, *args, **kwargs):
     """
     if dirs is None:
         dirs = levels.get_level_dirs(objtype.level)
+    if not dirs:
+        return objtype(dirs=[])
 
     ii = 0
     while ii < len(dirs):
diff --git a/tests/test_objects.py b/tests/test_objects.py
index 4dec788..e2927c6 100644
--- a/tests/test_objects.py
+++ b/tests/test_objects.py
@@ -77,13 +77,17 @@ def test_append():
         # do the same thing with processDirs
         obj3 = DPT.objects.processDirs(dirs, MyObj, [0.1, 0.2, 0.3])
         obj4 = DPT.objects.processDirs(None, MyObj, [0.1, 0.2, 0.3])
+        obj5 = DPT.objects.processDirs([], MyObj, [0.1, 0.2, 0.3])
+
     assert obj1.setidx == [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3]
     assert obj3.setidx == obj1.setidx
     assert obj4.setidx == obj3.setidx
+    assert obj5.setidx == []
 
     assert obj1.dirs == dirs
     assert obj1.dirs == obj3.dirs
     assert obj1.dirs == obj4.dirs
+    assert obj5.dirs == []
     mylevels = obj1.getlevels()
     assert mylevels == ["subject", "day", "session","array","channel","cell"]