diff --git a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
index fdb551f45..5f75967e6 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
+++ b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ void ThumbBrowserBase::scroll (int direction, double deltaX, double deltaY)
     } else {
         delta = deltaY;
     }
+    if (direction == GDK_SCROLL_SMOOTH && delta == 0.0) {
+        // sometimes this case happens. To avoid scrolling the wrong direction in this case, we just do nothing    
+        return;
+    }
     double coef = direction == GDK_SCROLL_DOWN || (direction == GDK_SCROLL_SMOOTH && delta > 0.0) ? +1.0 : -1.0;
 
     // GUI already acquired when here