diff --git a/core/core-editor.el b/core/core-editor.el
index 2a6017bfd..29b9f9da1 100644
--- a/core/core-editor.el
+++ b/core/core-editor.el
@@ -111,18 +111,19 @@ detected.")
         recentf-auto-cleanup 'never
         recentf-max-menu-items 0
         recentf-max-saved-items 200
-        recentf-filename-handlers '(doom--recent-file-truename abbreviate-file-name)
         recentf-exclude
         (list "\\.\\(?:gz\\|gif\\|svg\\|png\\|jpe?g\\)$" "^/tmp/" "^/ssh:"
               "\\.?ido\\.last$" "\\.revive$" "/TAGS$" "^/var/folders/.+$"
               ;; ignore private DOOM temp files
-              (regexp-quote (recentf-apply-filename-handlers doom-local-dir))))
+              (lambda (path)
+                (ignore-errors (file-in-directory-p path doom-local-dir)))))
 
   (defun doom--recent-file-truename (file)
     (if (or (file-remote-p file nil t)
             (not (file-remote-p file)))
         (file-truename file)
       file))
+  (setq recentf-filename-handlers '(doom--recent-file-truename abbreviate-file-name))
 
   (defun doom|recentf-touch-buffer ()
     "Bump file in recent file list when it is switched or written to."