diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/tree/tree-items.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/tree/tree-items.svelte
index e41d3361ef..6b3b7feda7 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/tree/tree-items.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/tree/tree-items.svelte
@@ -12,14 +12,12 @@
 
 <ul class="list-none ml-2">
   {#each Object.entries(items) as [path, tree]}
-    {#if path !== '\0'}
-      {@const value = joinPaths(parent, path)}
-      {@const key = value + getColor(value)}
-      {#key key}
-        <li>
-          <Tree {parent} value={path} {tree} {icons} {active} {getLink} {getColor} />
-        </li>
-      {/key}
-    {/if}
+    {@const value = joinPaths(parent, path)}
+    {@const key = value + getColor(value)}
+    {#key key}
+      <li>
+        <Tree {parent} value={path} {tree} {icons} {active} {getLink} {getColor} />
+      </li>
+    {/key}
   {/each}
 </ul>
diff --git a/web/src/lib/utils/tree-utils.ts b/web/src/lib/utils/tree-utils.ts
index fac85e9333..89c1e125a9 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/utils/tree-utils.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/utils/tree-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 export type RecursiveObject = {
-  [key: string]: RecursiveObject;
+  [key: string | symbol]: RecursiveObject;
 };
 
 export const normalizeTreePath = (path: string) => (path.at(-1) === '/' && path.length > 1 ? path.slice(0, -1) : path);
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ export const getParentPath = (path: string) => {
 };
 
 export const isLeaf = (tree: RecursiveObject) => {
-  for (const entry in tree) {
-    if (entry !== '\0') {
-      return false;
-    }
+  for (const _ in tree) {
+    return false;
   }
   return true;
 };
 
+export const FOLDER_WITH_ASSETS_SYMBOL = Symbol('folder-with-assets');
+
 export function buildTree(paths: string[]): RecursiveObject {
   const root: RecursiveObject = {};
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export function buildTree(paths: string[]): RecursiveObject {
       }
       current = current[part];
     }
-    current['\0'] = {}; // mark as leaf
+    current[FOLDER_WITH_ASSETS_SYMBOL] = {};
   }
   return root;
 }
diff --git a/web/src/routes/(user)/folders/[[photos=photos]]/[[assetId=id]]/+page.ts b/web/src/routes/(user)/folders/[[photos=photos]]/[[assetId=id]]/+page.ts
index 088a7ac1fa..4bff285d2d 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/(user)/folders/[[photos=photos]]/[[assetId=id]]/+page.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/(user)/folders/[[photos=photos]]/[[assetId=id]]/+page.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { foldersStore } from '$lib/stores/folders.store';
 import { authenticate } from '$lib/utils/auth';
 import { getFormatter } from '$lib/utils/i18n';
 import { getAssetInfoFromParam } from '$lib/utils/navigation';
-import { getPathParts, normalizeTreePath } from '$lib/utils/tree-utils';
+import { FOLDER_WITH_ASSETS_SYMBOL, getPathParts, normalizeTreePath } from '$lib/utils/tree-utils';
 import type { PageLoad } from './$types';
 
 export const load = (async ({ params, url }) => {
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export const load = (async ({ params, url }) => {
     }
 
     // only fetch assets if the folder has assets
-    if (tree['\0']) {
+    if (tree[FOLDER_WITH_ASSETS_SYMBOL]) {
       const { assets } = await foldersStore.fetchAssetsByPath(path);
       pathAssets = assets[path] || null;
     }
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const load = (async ({ params, url }) => {
   return {
     asset,
     path,
-    currentFolders: Object.keys(tree || {}).filter((name) => name !== '\0'),
+    currentFolders: Object.keys(tree || {}),
     pathAssets,
     meta: {
       title: $t('folders'),