diff --git a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/Roster.java b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/Roster.java
index cf9ad0415..ca2fb0389 100644
--- a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/Roster.java
+++ b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/Roster.java
@@ -1424,7 +1424,21 @@ public final class Roster extends Manager {
                 // means that rosterver was used and the roster hasn't changed (much) since the
                 // version we presented the server. So we simply load the roster from the store and
                 // await possible further roster pushes.
-                for (RosterPacket.Item item : rosterStore.getEntries()) {
+                List<RosterPacket.Item> storedItems = rosterStore.getEntries();
+                if (storedItems == null) {
+                    // The roster store was corrupted. Reset the store and reload the roster without using a roster version.
+                    rosterStore.resetStore();
+                    try {
+                        reload();
+                    } catch (NotLoggedInException | NotConnectedException
+                            | InterruptedException e) {
+                        LOGGER.log(Level.FINE,
+                                "Exception while trying to load the roster after the roster store was corrupted",
+                                e);
+                    }
+                    return;
+                }
+                for (RosterPacket.Item item : storedItems) {
                     RosterEntry entry = new RosterEntry(item, Roster.this, connection);
                     addUpdateEntry(addedEntries, updatedEntries, unchangedEntries, item, entry);
                 }
diff --git a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/DirectoryRosterStore.java b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/DirectoryRosterStore.java
index aa0be4df1..816d87890 100644
--- a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/DirectoryRosterStore.java
+++ b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/DirectoryRosterStore.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Reader;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -124,11 +125,10 @@ public final class DirectoryRosterStore implements RosterStore {
         for (File file : fileDir.listFiles(rosterDirFilter)) {
             Item entry = readEntry(file);
             if (entry == null) {
-                LOGGER.severe("Roster store file '" + file + "' is invalid.");
-            }
-            else {
-                entries.add(entry);
+                // Roster directory store corrupt. Abort and signal this by returning null.
+                return null;
             }
+            entries.add(entry);
         }
 
         return entries;
@@ -179,6 +179,12 @@ public final class DirectoryRosterStore implements RosterStore {
         return setRosterVersion(version);
     }
 
+
+    @Override
+    public void resetStore() {
+        resetEntries(Collections.<Item>emptyList(), "");
+    }
+
     private static Item readEntry(File file) {
         Reader reader;
         try {
@@ -212,4 +218,5 @@ public final class DirectoryRosterStore implements RosterStore {
         String encodedJid = Base32.encode(bareJid.toString());
         return new File(fileDir, ENTRY_PREFIX + encodedJid);
     }
+
 }
diff --git a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/RosterStore.java b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/RosterStore.java
index ab7e39649..068c31c3f 100644
--- a/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/RosterStore.java
+++ b/smack-im/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/roster/rosterstore/RosterStore.java
@@ -70,4 +70,10 @@ public interface RosterStore {
      */
     public boolean removeEntry(Jid bareJid, String version);
 
+    /**
+     * Reset the store by removing all entries and setting the version to the empty String.
+     *
+     * @since 4.2
+     */
+    public void resetStore();
 }