diff --git a/frontend/ui/dialog.lua b/frontend/ui/dialog.lua
index f92d35a64..5bdaa088a 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/dialog.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/dialog.lua
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ Menu = FocusManager:new{
 	height = 500,
 	width = 500,
 	item_table = {},
-	items = 0,
 	item_shortcuts = {
 		"Q", "W", "E", "R", "T", "Y", "U", "I", "O", "P",
 		"A", "S", "D", "F", "G", "H", "J", "K", "L", "Del",
@@ -427,10 +426,9 @@ Menu = FocusManager:new{
 }
 
 function Menu:init()
-	self.items = #self.item_table
 	self.perpage = math.floor(self.height / self.item_height) - 2
 	self.page = 1
-	self.page_num = math.ceil(self.items / self.perpage)
+	self.page_num = math.ceil(#self.item_table / self.perpage)
 
 	-- set up keyboard events
 	self.key_events.Close = { {"Back"}, doc = "close menu" }
@@ -472,16 +470,20 @@ function Menu:init()
 		dimen = {w = G_width, h = G_height},
 	} -- CenterContainer
 
-	self:_updateItems()
+	if #self.item_table > 0 then
+		-- if the table is not yet initialized, this call
+		-- must be done manually:
+		self:updateItems()
+	end
 end
 
-function Menu:_updateItems()
+function Menu:updateItems()
 	self.layout = {}
 	self.item_group:clear()
 
 	for c = 1, self.perpage do
 		local i = (self.page - 1) * self.perpage + c 
-		if i <= self.items then
+		if i <= #self.item_table then
 			local item_shortcut = nil
 			local shortcut_style = "square"
 			if self.is_enable_shortcut then
@@ -515,6 +517,8 @@ function Menu:_updateItems()
 	self.selected = { x = 1, y = 1 }
 	-- update page information
 	self.page_info.text = "page "..self.page.."/"..self.page_num
+
+	UIManager:setDirty(self)
 end
 
 function Menu:onSelectByShortCut(_, keyevent)
@@ -535,8 +539,7 @@ end
 function Menu:onNextPage()
 	if self.page < self.page_num then
 		self.page = self.page + 1
-		self:_updateItems()
-		UIManager:setDirty(self)
+		self:updateItems()
 	end
 	return true
 end
@@ -544,8 +547,7 @@ end
 function Menu:onPrevPage()
 	if self.page > 1 then
 		self.page = self.page - 1
-		self:_updateItems()
-		UIManager:setDirty(self)
+		self:updateItems()
 	end
 	return true
 end
diff --git a/frontend/ui/filechooser.lua b/frontend/ui/filechooser.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5740b6b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/ui/filechooser.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+require "ui/dialog" -- for Menu
+
+FileChooser = Menu:new{
+	path = ".",
+	show_hidden = false,
+	filter = function(filename) return true end,
+}
+
+function FileChooser:init()
+	self:changeToPath(self.path)
+end
+
+function FileChooser:changeToPath(path)
+	local dirs = {}
+	local files = {}
+	for f in lfs.dir(self.path) do
+		if self.show_hidden or not string.match(f, "^%.[^.]") then
+			local filename = self.path.."/"..f
+			local filemode = lfs.attributes(filename, "mode")
+			if filemode == "directory" and f ~= "." and f~=".." then
+				table.insert(dirs, f)
+			elseif filemode == "file" then
+				if self.filter(filename) then
+					table.insert(files, f)
+				end
+			end
+		end
+	end
+	table.sort(dirs)
+	if self.path ~= "/" then table.insert(dirs, 1, "..") end
+	table.sort(files)
+
+	self.item_table = {}
+	for _, dir in ipairs(dirs) do
+		table.insert(self.item_table, { text = dir.."/" })
+	end
+	for _, file in ipairs(files) do
+		table.insert(self.item_table, { text = file })
+	end
+
+	Menu.init(self) -- call parent's init()
+end