diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 71c19b2..56e0f91 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 ## [5.6.0-beta.18] 2024-12-14
 ### Added
 - Open Steam workshop subscriptions
+### Fixed
+- Empty dialog popups if user manually deletes local mods while application is running
+- Abort DayZ path discovery if VDF if Steam files are not synched
+### Changed
+- Admonish user to restart Steam in error dialog if DayZ path could not be found
 
 ## [5.6.0-beta.17] 2024-12-14
 ### Added
diff --git a/dzgui.sh b/dzgui.sh
index a7aabc6..05d9cee 100755
--- a/dzgui.sh
+++ b/dzgui.sh
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ fetch_helpers_by_sum(){
         ["ui.py"]="0e3845ef150ee9863f9160c62dbb24f9"
         ["query_v2.py"]="55d339ba02512ac69de288eb3be41067"
         ["vdf2json.py"]="2f49f6f5d3af919bebaab2e9c220f397"
-        ["funcs"]="4c1480fcfae15c4bc1c02a337d1de488"
+        ["funcs"]="a9745fa5cc2f007bddf0d30032845fbd"
         ["lan"]="c62e84ddd1457b71a85ad21da662b9af"
     )
     local author="aclist"
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ find_library_folder(){
     local search_path="$1"
     steam_path="$(python3 "$helpers_path/vdf2json.py" -i "$1/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf" \
         | jq -r '.libraryfolders[]|select(.apps|has("221100")).path')"
-    if [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]]; then
+    if [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]] || [[ -z $steam_path ]]; then
         logger WARN "Failed to parse Steam path using '$search_path'"
         return 1
     fi
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ create_config(){
             find_library_folder "$default_steam_path"
             if [[ -z $steam_path ]]; then
                 logger raise_error "Steam path was empty"
-                zenity --question --text="DayZ not found or not installed at the Steam library given." --ok-label="Choose path manually" --cancel-label="Exit"
+                zenity --question --text="DayZ not found or not installed at the Steam library given. NOTE: if you recently installed DayZ or moved its location, you MUST restart Steam first for these changes to synch." --ok-label="Choose path manually" --cancel-label="Exit"
                 if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
                     logger INFO "User selected file picker"
                     file_picker
diff --git a/helpers/funcs b/helpers/funcs
index 1bf3d1a..88bc082 100755
--- a/helpers/funcs
+++ b/helpers/funcs
@@ -353,12 +353,13 @@ list_mods(){
     local name
     local base_dir
     local size
+    local mods
     if [[ -z $(installed_mods) ]] || [[ -z $(find $workshop_dir -maxdepth 2 -name "*.cpp" | grep .cpp) ]]; then
         printf "No mods currently installed or incorrect path set."
         logger WARN "Found no locally installed mods"
         return 1
     else
-        for dir in $(find $game_dir/* -maxdepth 1 -type l); do
+        mods=$(for dir in $(find $game_dir/* -maxdepth 1 -type l); do
             symlink=$(basename $dir)
             sep="␞"
             name=$(awk -F\" '/name/ {print $2}' "${dir}/meta.cpp")
@@ -366,7 +367,14 @@ list_mods(){
             size=$(du -s "$(readlink -f "$game_dir/$symlink")" | awk '{print $1}')
             size=$(python3 -c "n=($size/1024) +.005; print(round(n,4))")
             LC_NUMERIC=C printf "%s$sep%s$sep%s$sep%3.3f\n" "$name" "$symlink" "$base_dir" "$size"
-        done | sort -k1
+        done | sort -k1)
+        # user may have manually pruned mods out-of-band
+        # handle directory detritus but no actual mods
+        if [[ -z $mods ]]; then
+            printf "No mods currently installed or incorrect path set."
+            return 1
+        fi
+        echo "$mods"
     fi
 }
 installed_mods(){