diff --git a/src/node/hooks/i18n.js b/src/node/hooks/i18n.js
index d0be2d6f..1b5b354d 100644
--- a/src/node/hooks/i18n.js
+++ b/src/node/hooks/i18n.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ var languages = require('languages4translatewiki')
   , npm = require('npm')
   , plugins = require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pluginfw/plugins.js').plugins
   , semver = require('semver')
-  , existsSync = fs.statSync || fs.existsSync || path.existsSync
+  , existsSync = require('../utils/path_exists')
 ;
 
 
diff --git a/src/node/utils/caching_middleware.js b/src/node/utils/caching_middleware.js
index 91b8143b..65fe5d2f 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/caching_middleware.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/caching_middleware.js
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var zlib = require('zlib');
 var settings = require('./Settings');
 var semver = require('semver');
-
-var existsSync = fs.statSync || fs.existsSync || path.existsSync;
+var existsSync = require('./path_exists');
 
 var CACHE_DIR = path.normalize(path.join(settings.root, 'var/'));
 CACHE_DIR = existsSync(CACHE_DIR) ? CACHE_DIR : undefined;
diff --git a/src/node/utils/path_exists.js b/src/node/utils/path_exists.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2d43f6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/node/utils/path_exists.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+var check = function(path) {
+  var existsSync = fs.statSync || fs.existsSync || path.existsSync;
+
+  var result;
+  try {
+    result = existsSync(path);
+  } catch (e) {
+    result = false;
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
+module.exports = check;