diff --git a/core/core-spacemacs-buffer.el b/core/core-spacemacs-buffer.el
index a17c31715..93c647950 100644
--- a/core/core-spacemacs-buffer.el
+++ b/core/core-spacemacs-buffer.el
@@ -1189,9 +1189,10 @@ SEQ, START and END are the same arguments as for `cl-subseq'"
   (unless recentf-mode (recentf-mode))
   (setq spacemacs-buffer//recent-files-list
         (cl-delete-if (lambda (x)
-                        (or (when (and org-directory (file-exists-p org-directory))
+                        (or (when (and (bound-and-true-p org-directory) (file-exists-p org-directory))
                               (member x (directory-files org-directory t)))
-                            (member x (mapcar #'expand-file-name org-agenda-files))))
+                            (when (bound-and-true-p org-agenda-files)
+                              (member x (mapcar #'expand-file-name org-agenda-files)))))
                       recentf-list))
   (setq spacemacs-buffer//recent-files-list
         (spacemacs//subseq spacemacs-buffer//recent-files-list 0 list-size))