diff --git a/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection.h b/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection.h
index f527d71..9e99fdc 100644
--- a/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection.h
+++ b/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ struct LIB_SYNCTHING_CONNECTOR_EXPORT SyncthingItem {
     CppUtilities::DateTime modificationTime = CppUtilities::DateTime();
     std::size_t size = std::size_t();
     SyncthingItemType type = SyncthingItemType::Unknown;
-    std::vector<SyncthingItem> children;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> children;
     SyncthingItem *parent = nullptr; // not populated but might be set as needed (take care in case the pointer gets invalidated)
     std::size_t index = std::size_t();
     int level = 0; // the level of nesting, does *not* include levels of the prefix
@@ -253,8 +253,7 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 
 public:
     // methods to GET or POST information from/to Syncthing (non-slots)
-    QMetaObject::Connection browse(
-        const QString &dirId, const QString &prefix, int level, std::function<void(std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&, QString &&error)> &&callback);
+    QMetaObject::Connection browse(const QString &dirId, const QString &prefix, int level, std::function<void (std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem> > &&, QString &&)> &&callback);
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void newConfig(const QJsonObject &rawConfig);
@@ -369,7 +368,7 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
 
 private:
     // handler to evaluate results from request...() methods
-    void readBrowse(const QString &dirId, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&, QString &&)> &&callback);
+    void readBrowse(const QString &dirId, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem> > &&, QString &&)> &&callback);
 
     // internal helper methods
     struct Reply {
diff --git a/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection_requests.cpp b/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection_requests.cpp
index fa87090..d49b32f 100644
--- a/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection_requests.cpp
+++ b/syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection_requests.cpp
@@ -1590,7 +1590,7 @@ void SyncthingConnection::readRevert()
  * consume results of a specific request. Errors are still reported via the error() signal so there's no extra error handling
  * required. Note that \a callback is *not* invoked in the error case.
  */
-QMetaObject::Connection SyncthingConnection::browse(const QString &dirId, const QString &prefix, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&, QString &&)> &&callback)
+QMetaObject::Connection SyncthingConnection::browse(const QString &dirId, const QString &prefix, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &&, QString &&)> &&callback)
 {
     auto query = QUrlQuery();
     query.addQueryItem(QStringLiteral("folder"), formatQueryItem(dirId));
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ QMetaObject::Connection SyncthingConnection::browse(const QString &dirId, const
 }
 
 /// \cond
-static void readSyncthingItems(const QJsonArray &array, std::vector<SyncthingItem> &into, int level, int levels)
+static void readSyncthingItems(const QJsonArray &array, std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &into, int level, int levels)
 {
     into.reserve(static_cast<std::size_t>(array.size()));
     for (const auto &jsonItem : array) {
@@ -1617,10 +1617,10 @@ static void readSyncthingItems(const QJsonArray &array, std::vector<SyncthingIte
         const auto type = jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("type")).toString();
         const auto index = into.size();
         const auto children = jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("children"));
-        auto &item = into.emplace_back();
-        item.name = jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("name")).toString();
-        item.modificationTime = CppUtilities::DateTime::fromIsoStringGmt(jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("modTime")).toString().toUtf8().data());
-        item.size = static_cast<std::size_t>(jsonItemObj
+        auto &item = into.emplace_back(std::make_unique<SyncthingItem>());
+        item->name = jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("name")).toString();
+        item->modificationTime = CppUtilities::DateTime::fromIsoStringGmt(jsonItemObj.value(QLatin1String("modTime")).toString().toUtf8().data());
+        item->size = static_cast<std::size_t>(jsonItemObj
                                                  .value(QLatin1String("size"))
 #if (QT_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 0, 0))
                                                  .toInteger()
@@ -1628,15 +1628,15 @@ static void readSyncthingItems(const QJsonArray &array, std::vector<SyncthingIte
                                                  .toDouble()
 #endif
         );
-        item.index = index;
-        item.level = level;
+        item->index = index;
+        item->level = level;
         if (type == QLatin1String("FILE_INFO_TYPE_FILE")) {
-            item.type = SyncthingItemType::File;
+            item->type = SyncthingItemType::File;
         } else if (type == QLatin1String("FILE_INFO_TYPE_DIRECTORY")) {
-            item.type = SyncthingItemType::Directory;
+            item->type = SyncthingItemType::Directory;
         }
-        readSyncthingItems(children.toArray(), item.children, level + 1, levels);
-        item.childrenPopulated = !levels || level < levels;
+        readSyncthingItems(children.toArray(), item->children, level + 1, levels);
+        item->childrenPopulated = !levels || level < levels;
     }
 }
 /// \endcond
@@ -1645,13 +1645,13 @@ static void readSyncthingItems(const QJsonArray &array, std::vector<SyncthingIte
  * \brief Reads the response of browse() and reports results via the specified \a callback. Emits error() in case of an error.
  * \remarks The \a callback is also emitted in the error case (with the error message as second parameter and an empty list of items).
  */
-void SyncthingConnection::readBrowse(const QString &dirId, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&, QString &&)> &&callback)
+void SyncthingConnection::readBrowse(const QString &dirId, int levels, std::function<void (std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &&, QString &&)> &&callback)
 {
     auto const [reply, response] = prepareReply();
     if (!reply) {
         return;
     }
-    auto items = std::vector<SyncthingItem>();
+    auto items = std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>>();
     switch (reply->error()) {
     case QNetworkReply::NoError: {
         auto jsonError = QJsonParseError();
diff --git a/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.cpp b/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.cpp
index 303c0bc..d2971c3 100644
--- a/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.cpp
+++ b/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.cpp
@@ -19,14 +19,18 @@ SyncthingFileModel::SyncthingFileModel(SyncthingConnection &connection, const Sy
     : SyncthingModel(connection, parent)
     , m_connection(connection)
     , m_dirId(dir.id)
-    , m_root({ .name = dir.displayName(), .modificationTime = dir.lastFileTime, .size = dir.globalStats.bytes, .type = SyncthingItemType::Directory })
+    , m_root(std::make_unique<SyncthingItem>())
 {
-    m_connection.browse(m_dirId, QString(), 1, [this](std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&items, QString &&errorMessage) {
+    m_root->name = dir.displayName();
+    m_root->modificationTime = dir.lastFileTime;
+    m_root->size = dir.globalStats.bytes;
+    m_root->type = SyncthingItemType::Directory;
+    m_connection.browse(m_dirId, QString(), 1, [this](std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &&items, QString &&errorMessage) {
         Q_UNUSED(errorMessage)
         const auto last = items.size() - 1;
         beginInsertRows(index(0, 0), 0, last < std::numeric_limits<int>::max() ? static_cast<int>(last) : std::numeric_limits<int>::max());
-        m_root.children = std::move(items);
-        m_root.childrenPopulated = true;
+        m_root->children = std::move(items);
+        m_root->childrenPopulated = true;
         endInsertRows();
     });
 }
@@ -55,7 +59,7 @@ QModelIndex SyncthingFileModel::index(int row, int column, const QModelIndex &pa
         return QModelIndex();
     }
     if (!parent.isValid()) {
-        return static_cast<std::size_t>(row) ? QModelIndex() : createIndex(row, column, &m_root);
+        return static_cast<std::size_t>(row) ? QModelIndex() : createIndex(row, column, m_root.get());
     }
     auto *const parentItem = reinterpret_cast<SyncthingItem *>(parent.internalPointer());
     if (!parentItem) {
@@ -66,21 +70,21 @@ QModelIndex SyncthingFileModel::index(int row, int column, const QModelIndex &pa
         return QModelIndex();
     }
     auto &item = items[static_cast<std::size_t>(row)];
-    item.parent = parentItem;
-    return createIndex(row, column, &item);
+    item->parent = parentItem;
+    return createIndex(row, column, item.get());
 }
 
 QModelIndex SyncthingFileModel::index(const QString &path) const
 {
     auto parts = path.split(QChar('/'), Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
     auto res = index(0, 0);
-    auto *parent = &m_root;
+    auto *parent = m_root.get();
     for (const auto &part : parts) {
         auto foundPart = false;
         for (const auto &child : parent->children) {
-            if (child.name == part) {
-                parent = &child;
-                res = index(static_cast<int>(child.index), 0, res);
+            if (child->name == part) {
+                parent = child.get();
+                res = index(static_cast<int>(child->index), 0, res);
                 foundPart = true;
                 break;
             }
@@ -105,7 +109,7 @@ QString SyncthingFileModel::path(const QModelIndex &index) const
     parts.reserve(reinterpret_cast<SyncthingItem *>(index.internalPointer())->level + 1);
     for (auto i = index; i.isValid(); i = i.parent()) {
         const auto *const item = reinterpret_cast<SyncthingItem *>(i.internalPointer());
-        if (item == &m_root) {
+        if (item == m_root.get()) {
             break;
         }
         parts.append(reinterpret_cast<SyncthingItem *>(i.internalPointer())->name);
@@ -247,11 +251,11 @@ bool SyncthingFileModel::canFetchMore(const QModelIndex &parent) const
 }
 
 /// \cond
-static void addLevel(std::vector<SyncthingItem> &items, int level)
+static void addLevel(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &items, int level)
 {
     for (auto &item : items) {
-        item.level += level;
-        addLevel(item.children, level);
+        item->level += level;
+        addLevel(item->children, level);
     }
 }
 /// \endcond
@@ -293,7 +297,7 @@ void SyncthingFileModel::processFetchQueue()
         return;
     }
     const auto &path = m_fetchQueue.front();
-    m_pendingRequest = m_connection.browse(m_dirId, path, 1, [this, p = path](std::vector<SyncthingItem> &&items, QString &&errorMessage) {
+    m_pendingRequest = m_connection.browse(m_dirId, path, 1, [this, p = path](std::vector<std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem>> &&items, QString &&errorMessage) {
         Q_UNUSED(errorMessage)
         m_fetchQueue.removeAll(p);
 
@@ -303,15 +307,23 @@ void SyncthingFileModel::processFetchQueue()
         }
         auto *const refreshedItem = reinterpret_cast<SyncthingItem *>(refreshedIndex.internalPointer());
         if (!refreshedItem->children.empty()) {
-            beginRemoveRows(refreshedIndex, 0, static_cast<int>(refreshedItem->children.size() - 1));
+            if (refreshedItem == m_root.get()) {
+                beginResetModel();
+            } else {
+                beginRemoveRows(refreshedIndex, 0, static_cast<int>(refreshedItem->children.size() - 1));
+            }
             refreshedItem->children.clear();
-            endRemoveRows();
+            if (refreshedItem == m_root.get()) {
+                endResetModel();
+            } else {
+                endRemoveRows();
+            }
         }
         if (!items.empty()) {
             const auto last = items.size() - 1;
             addLevel(items, refreshedItem->level);
             for (auto &item : items) {
-                item.parent = refreshedItem;
+                item->parent = refreshedItem;
             }
             beginInsertRows(refreshedIndex, 0, last < std::numeric_limits<int>::max() ? static_cast<int>(last) : std::numeric_limits<int>::max());
             refreshedItem->children = std::move(items);
diff --git a/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.h b/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.h
index e03a031..4a4811a 100644
--- a/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.h
+++ b/syncthingmodel/syncthingfilemodel.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <syncthingconnector/syncthingconnection.h>
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace Data {
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ private:
     QString m_dirId;
     QStringList m_fetchQueue;
     QMetaObject::Connection m_pendingRequest;
-    SyncthingItem m_root;
+    std::unique_ptr<SyncthingItem> m_root;
 };
 
 } // namespace Data