diff --git a/packages/app-desktop/gui/WindowCommandsAndDialogs/commands/newNote.ts b/packages/app-desktop/gui/WindowCommandsAndDialogs/commands/newNote.ts
index 049a734c0b..a847f937cb 100644
--- a/packages/app-desktop/gui/WindowCommandsAndDialogs/commands/newNote.ts
+++ b/packages/app-desktop/gui/WindowCommandsAndDialogs/commands/newNote.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { utils, CommandRuntime, CommandDeclaration, CommandContext } from '@joplin/lib/services/CommandService';
 import { _ } from '@joplin/lib/locale';
-import Setting from '@joplin/lib/models/Setting';
 import Note from '@joplin/lib/models/Note';
+import Folder from '@joplin/lib/models/Folder';
 
 export const newNoteEnabledConditions = 'oneFolderSelected && !inConflictFolder && !folderIsReadOnly && !folderIsTrash';
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export const declaration: CommandDeclaration = {
 export const runtime = (): CommandRuntime => {
 	return {
 		execute: async (_context: CommandContext, body = '', isTodo = false) => {
-			const folderId = Setting.value('activeFolderId');
+			const folderId = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
 			if (!folderId) return;
 
 			const defaultValues = Note.previewFieldsWithDefaultValues({ includeTimestamps: false });
diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/commands/newNote.ts b/packages/app-mobile/commands/newNote.ts
index a36b2f9f38..e08171b6b3 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/commands/newNote.ts
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/commands/newNote.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { CommandRuntime, CommandDeclaration, CommandContext } from '@joplin/lib/
 import Logger from '@joplin/utils/Logger';
 import goToNote, { GotoNoteOptions } from './util/goToNote';
 import Note from '@joplin/lib/models/Note';
-import Setting from '@joplin/lib/models/Setting';
+import Folder from '@joplin/lib/models/Folder';
 
 const logger = Logger.create('newNoteCommand');
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export const declaration: CommandDeclaration = {
 export const runtime = (): CommandRuntime => {
 	return {
 		execute: async (_context: CommandContext, body = '', todo = false, options: GotoNoteOptions = null) => {
-			const folderId = Setting.value('activeFolderId');
+			const folderId = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
 			if (!folderId) {
 				logger.warn('Not creating new note -- no active folder ID.');
 				return;
diff --git a/packages/lib/models/Folder.test.ts b/packages/lib/models/Folder.test.ts
index e6e367b765..e97348fd95 100644
--- a/packages/lib/models/Folder.test.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/models/Folder.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { FolderEntity } from '../services/database/types';
 import { createNTestNotes, setupDatabaseAndSynchronizer, sleep, switchClient, checkThrowAsync, createFolderTree, simulateReadOnlyShareEnv, expectThrow, withWarningSilenced } from '../testing/test-utils';
 import Folder from './Folder';
 import Note from './Note';
+import Setting from './Setting';
 
 async function allItems() {
 	const folders = await Folder.all();
@@ -440,4 +441,40 @@ describe('models/Folder', () => {
 		expect(Folder.atLeastOneRealFolderExists(folders)).toBe(false);
 	});
 
+	it('should get active folder when activeFolderId is valid', async () => {
+		const activeFolder = await Folder.save({ title: 'folder' });
+		Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', activeFolder.id);
+
+		const validFolder = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
+		expect(validFolder).toBe(activeFolder.id);
+	});
+
+	it('should get default folder when activeFolderId is trashed', async () => {
+		const defaultFolder = await Folder.save({ title: 'default' });
+		const activeFolder = await Folder.save({ title: 'folder' });
+		await Folder.delete(activeFolder.id, { toTrash: true });
+		Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', activeFolder.id);
+
+		const validFolder = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
+		expect(validFolder).toBe(defaultFolder.id);
+	});
+
+	it('should get no folder when activeFolderId is undefined', async () => {
+		Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', undefined);
+
+		const validFolder = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
+		expect(validFolder).toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it('should get no folder when activeFolderId is trashed and there are no other not trashed folders', async () => {
+		const activeFolder = await Folder.save({ title: 'folder' });
+		const otherFolder = await Folder.save({ title: 'other' });
+		await Folder.delete(activeFolder.id, { toTrash: true });
+		await Folder.delete(otherFolder.id, { toTrash: true });
+		Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', activeFolder.id);
+
+		const validFolder = await Folder.getValidActiveFolder();
+		expect(validFolder).toBeNull();
+	});
+
 });
diff --git a/packages/lib/models/Folder.ts b/packages/lib/models/Folder.ts
index 41df785d97..99e63c923b 100644
--- a/packages/lib/models/Folder.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/models/Folder.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { getTrashFolder } from '../services/trash';
 import getConflictFolderId from './utils/getConflictFolderId';
 import getTrashFolderId from '../services/trash/getTrashFolderId';
 import { getCollator } from './utils/getCollator';
+import Setting from './Setting';
 const { substrWithEllipsis } = require('../string-utils.js');
 
 const logger = Logger.create('models/Folder');
@@ -918,7 +919,7 @@ export default class Folder extends BaseItem {
 	}
 
 	public static defaultFolder() {
-		return this.modelSelectOne('SELECT * FROM folders ORDER BY created_time DESC LIMIT 1');
+		return this.modelSelectOne('SELECT * FROM folders WHERE deleted_time = 0 ORDER BY created_time DESC LIMIT 1');
 	}
 
 	public static async canNestUnder(folderId: string, targetFolderId: string) {
@@ -1076,4 +1077,18 @@ export default class Folder extends BaseItem {
 		return this.getRealFolders(folders).length > 0;
 	}
 
+	public static async getValidActiveFolder() {
+		const folderId = Setting.value('activeFolderId');
+		if (!folderId) return null;
+
+		const folder = await Folder.load(folderId);
+		if (!folder || !!folder.deleted_time) {
+			const defaultFolder = await Folder.defaultFolder();
+			if (!defaultFolder) return null;
+			return defaultFolder.id;
+		}
+
+		return folderId;
+	}
+
 }