diff --git a/scheme/browse-directory-list.scm b/scheme/browse-directory-list.scm
index c116b55..d8067b1 100644
--- a/scheme/browse-directory-list.scm
+++ b/scheme/browse-directory-list.scm
@@ -65,13 +65,28 @@
      (else
       (number->string bytes)))))
 
+(define (->username/save uid/name)
+  (with-fatal-error-handler
+   (lambda (condition more)
+     (if (number? uid/name)
+         (number->string uid/name)
+         uid/name))
+   (->username uid/name)))
+
+(define (->groupname/save gid/name)
+  (with-fatal-error-handler
+   (lambda (condition more)
+     (if (number? gid/name)
+         (number->string gid/name)
+         gid/name))
+   (->groupname gid/name)))
+
 (define (format-user/group fi)
   (fill-up-string 17
    (string-append
-    (cut-to-size 8 (->username (file-info:uid fi)))
+    (cut-to-size 8 (->username/save (file-info:uid fi)))
     ":"
-    (cut-to-size 8 (group-info:name
-		    (group-info (file-info:gid fi)))))))
+    (cut-to-size 8 (->groupname/save (file-info:gid fi))))))
 
 ;; leave one line for the heading
 (define (calculate-number-of-lines result-buffer)