diff --git a/include/DataFile.h b/include/DataFile.h
index 1d5f71f78..c8586fd9d 100644
--- a/include/DataFile.h
+++ b/include/DataFile.h
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ public:
 
 	virtual ~DataFile();
 
+	///
+	/// \brief validate
+	/// performs basic validation, compared to file extension.
+	///
+	bool validate( QString extension );
+
 	QString nameWithExtension( const QString& fn ) const;
 
 	void write( QTextStream& strm );
diff --git a/include/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.h b/include/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.h
index 6dd8c8e19..0ebed9c89 100644
--- a/include/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.h
+++ b/include/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class PreviewTrackContainer;
 class EXPORT PresetPreviewPlayHandle : public PlayHandle
 {
 public:
-	PresetPreviewPlayHandle( const QString& presetFile, bool loadByPlugin = false );
+	PresetPreviewPlayHandle( const QString& presetFile, bool loadByPlugin = false, DataFile *dataFile = 0 );
 	virtual ~PresetPreviewPlayHandle();
 
 	virtual void play( sampleFrame* buffer );
diff --git a/src/core/DataFile.cpp b/src/core/DataFile.cpp
index 1e79b0c08..15fa5abde 100644
--- a/src/core/DataFile.cpp
+++ b/src/core/DataFile.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,53 @@ DataFile::~DataFile()
 
 
 
+bool DataFile::validate( QString extension )
+{
+	switch( m_type )
+	{
+	case Type::SongProject:
+		if( extension == "mmp" || extension == "mmpz" )
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	case Type::SongProjectTemplate:
+		if(  extension == "mpt" )
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	case Type::InstrumentTrackSettings:
+		if ( extension == "xpf" || extension == "xml" )
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	case Type::UnknownType:
+		if (! ( extension == "mmp" || extension == "mpt" || extension == "mmpz" ||
+				extension == "xpf" || extension == "xml" ||
+				( extension == "xiz" && Engine::pluginFileHandling().contains( extension ) ) ||
+				extension == "sf2" || extension == "pat" || extension == "mid" ||
+				extension == "flp" || extension == "dll"
+				) )
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		if( extension == "wav" || extension == "ogg" ||
+				extension == "ds" )
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		return false;
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+
+
+
 QString DataFile::nameWithExtension( const QString & _fn ) const
 {
 	switch( type() )
diff --git a/src/core/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.cpp b/src/core/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.cpp
index 09ebaca16..a91681758 100644
--- a/src/core/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/PresetPreviewPlayHandle.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ PreviewTrackContainer * PresetPreviewPlayHandle::s_previewTC;
 
 
 
-PresetPreviewPlayHandle::PresetPreviewPlayHandle( const QString & _preset_file, bool _load_by_plugin ) :
+PresetPreviewPlayHandle::PresetPreviewPlayHandle( const QString & _preset_file, bool _load_by_plugin, DataFile *dataFile ) :
 	PlayHandle( TypePresetPreviewHandle ),
 	m_previewNote( NULL )
 {
@@ -144,22 +144,32 @@ PresetPreviewPlayHandle::PresetPreviewPlayHandle( const QString & _preset_file,
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		DataFile dataFile( _preset_file );
+		bool dataFileCreated = false;
+		if( dataFile == 0 )
+		{
+			dataFile = new DataFile( _preset_file );
+			dataFileCreated = true;
+		}
+
 		// vestige previews are bug prone; fallback on 3xosc with volume of 0
 		// without an instrument in preview track, it will segfault
-		if(dataFile.content().elementsByTagName( "vestige" ).length() == 0 )
+		if(dataFile->content().elementsByTagName( "vestige" ).length() == 0 )
 		{
 			s_previewTC->previewInstrumentTrack()->
 					loadTrackSpecificSettings(
-						dataFile.content().firstChild().toElement() );
+						dataFile->content().firstChild().toElement() );
 		}
 		else
 		{
 			s_previewTC->previewInstrumentTrack()->loadInstrument("tripleoscillator");
 			s_previewTC->previewInstrumentTrack()->setVolume( 0 );
 		}
+		if( dataFileCreated )
+		{
+			delete dataFile;
+		}
 	}
-
+	dataFile = 0;
 	// make sure, our preset-preview-track does not appear in any MIDI-
 	// devices list, so just disable receiving/sending MIDI-events at all
 	s_previewTC->previewInstrumentTrack()->
diff --git a/src/core/Song.cpp b/src/core/Song.cpp
index 6759abb4b..0f688a1b1 100644
--- a/src/core/Song.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Song.cpp
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ void Song::loadProject( const QString & fileName )
 	DataFile dataFile( m_fileName );
 	// if file could not be opened, head-node is null and we create
 	// new project
-	if( dataFile.head().isNull() )
+	if( dataFile.validate( fileName.right( fileName.lastIndexOf(".") ) ) )
 	{
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/src/gui/FileBrowser.cpp b/src/gui/FileBrowser.cpp
index 0d19ec6aa..942e1f360 100644
--- a/src/gui/FileBrowser.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/FileBrowser.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QMdiArea>
 #include <QMdiSubWindow>
+#include <QMessageBox>
 
 #include "FileBrowser.h"
 #include "BBTrackContainer.h"
@@ -461,7 +462,17 @@ void FileBrowserTreeWidget::mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent * me )
 				( f->handling() == FileItem::LoadAsPreset ||
 				f->handling() == FileItem::LoadByPlugin ) )
 		{
-			m_previewPlayHandle = new PresetPreviewPlayHandle( f->fullName(), f->handling() == FileItem::LoadByPlugin );
+			DataFile dataFile( f->fullName() );
+			if( !dataFile.validate( f->extension() ) )
+			{
+				QMessageBox::warning( 0, tr ( "Error" ),
+					f->fullName() + " " + tr( "does not appear to be a valid" ) + " " + f->extension() +
+									  " " + tr( "file" ),
+					QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::NoButton );
+				m_pphMutex.unlock();
+				return;
+			}
+			m_previewPlayHandle = new PresetPreviewPlayHandle( f->fullName(), f->handling() == FileItem::LoadByPlugin, &dataFile );
 		}
 		if( m_previewPlayHandle != NULL )
 		{