diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/InternalFileSystemCore.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/InternalFileSystemCore.java
index 9e63137265e..4df66c062a7 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/InternalFileSystemCore.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/InternalFileSystemCore.java
@@ -15,9 +15,18 @@
 
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.HashMap;
-import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.*;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.EFS;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.IFileStore;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.IFileSystem;
 import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.provider.FileSystem;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.*;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IConfigurationElement;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtension;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtensionDelta;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtensionPoint;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IRegistryChangeEvent;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IRegistryChangeListener;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.RegistryFactory;
 import org.eclipse.osgi.util.NLS;
 
 /**
@@ -72,9 +81,15 @@ public IFileSystem getFileSystem(String scheme) throws CoreException {
 			IConfigurationElement element = (IConfigurationElement) result;
 			FileSystem fs = (FileSystem) element.createExecutableExtension("run"); //$NON-NLS-1$
 			fs.initialize(scheme);
-			//store the file system instance so we don't have to keep recreating it
-			registry.put(scheme, fs);
-			return fs;
+			synchronized (this) {
+				result = registry.get(scheme);
+				if (result instanceof IFileSystem) {
+					return (IFileSystem) result;
+				}
+				//store the file system instance so we don't have to keep recreating it
+				registry.put(scheme, fs);
+				return fs;
+			}
 		} catch (CoreException e) {
 			//remove this invalid file system from the registry
 			registry.remove(scheme);
diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/NullFileSystem.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/NullFileSystem.java
index 1d20161fb35..88e7d5d7295 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/NullFileSystem.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/NullFileSystem.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class NullFileSystem extends FileSystem {
 	/**
 	 * The singleton instance of this file system.
 	 */
-	private static IFileSystem instance;
+	private static final IFileSystem INSTANCE = EFS.getNullFileSystem();
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the instance of this file system
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class NullFileSystem extends FileSystem {
 	 * @return The instance of this file system.
 	 */
 	public static IFileSystem getInstance() {
-		return instance;
+		return INSTANCE;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ public static IFileSystem getInstance() {
 	 */
 	public NullFileSystem() {
 		super();
-		instance = this;
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/local/LocalFileSystem.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/local/LocalFileSystem.java
index 8c519aa0a0b..c12862ba452 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/local/LocalFileSystem.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.filesystem/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/filesystem/local/LocalFileSystem.java
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.net.URI;
-import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.*;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.EFS;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.IFileStore;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.IFileSystem;
 import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.provider.FileSystem;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
 import org.eclipse.osgi.service.environment.Constants;
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ public class LocalFileSystem extends FileSystem {
 	/**
 	 * The singleton instance of this file system.
 	 */
-	private static IFileSystem instance;
+	private static final IFileSystem INSTANCE = EFS.getLocalFileSystem();
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the instance of this file system
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ public class LocalFileSystem extends FileSystem {
 	 * @return The instance of this file system.
 	 */
 	public static IFileSystem getInstance() {
-		return instance;
+		return INSTANCE;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -71,7 +73,6 @@ static String getOS() {
 	 */
 	public LocalFileSystem() {
 		super();
-		instance = this;
 	}
 
 	@Override