diff --git a/src/ui/desktop/menubar.cpp b/src/ui/desktop/menubar.cpp
index 51893685f0ed855dafc5b5757d2cb19df42ea786..4520e633a485dfa02485b837b7f433ae7f3c04cc 100644
--- a/src/ui/desktop/menubar.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/desktop/menubar.cpp
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ build_menu()
 #endif
                             ;
 
-            // this is potentially expensive: local FS access (remote files are not checked)
-            valid_file = valid_file && recent_file->exists();
+            // Note: Do not check if the file exists, to avoid long delays. See https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/issues/2348 .
 
             if (!valid_file) {
                 continue;
diff --git a/src/ui/dialog/command-palette.cpp b/src/ui/dialog/command-palette.cpp
index 357b3bb5c9f3538450780b41a092fe9cefeaeda5..dbbef1a83e09967cc0b889fef7b352b0f95eb801 100644
--- a/src/ui/dialog/command-palette.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/dialog/command-palette.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ CommandPalette::CommandPalette()
                                   recent_file->has_application("inkscape") or
                                   recent_file->has_application("inkscape.exe");
 
-                valid_file = valid_file and recent_file->exists();
+                // Note: Do not check if the file exists, to avoid long delays. See https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/issues/2348 .
 
                 if (not valid_file) {
                     continue;
@@ -213,43 +213,31 @@ void CommandPalette::append_recent_file_operation(const Glib::ustring &path, boo
     auto &CPDescription      (get_widget<Gtk::Label> (operation_builder, "CPDescription"));
 
     const auto file = Gio::File::create_for_path(path);
-    if (file->query_exists()) {
-        const Glib::ustring file_name = file->get_basename();
+    const Glib::ustring file_name = file->get_basename();
 
-        if (is_import) {
-            // Used for Activate row signal of listbox and not
-            CPGroup.set_text("import");
-            CPActionFullLabel.set_text("import"); // For filtering only
+    if (is_import) {
+        // Used for Activate row signal of listbox and not
+        CPGroup.set_text("import");
+        CPActionFullLabel.set_text("import"); // For filtering only
 
-        } else {
-            CPGroup.set_text("open");
-            CPActionFullLabel.set_text("open"); // For filtering only
-        }
+    } else {
+        CPGroup.set_text("open");
+        CPActionFullLabel.set_text("open"); // For filtering only
+    }
 
-        // Hide for recent_file, not required
-        CPActionFullButton.set_visible(false);
+    // Hide for recent_file, not required
+    CPActionFullButton.set_visible(false);
 
-        CPName.set_text((is_import ? _("Import") : _("Open")) + (": " + file_name));
-        CPName.set_tooltip_text((is_import ? ("Import") : ("Open")) + (": " + file_name)); // Tooltip_text are not translatable
-        CPDescription.set_text(path);
-        CPDescription.set_tooltip_text(path);
+    CPName.set_text((is_import ? _("Import") : _("Open")) + (": " + file_name));
+    CPName.set_tooltip_text((is_import ? ("Import") : ("Open")) + (": " + file_name)); // Tooltip_text are not translatable
+    CPDescription.set_text(path);
+    CPDescription.set_tooltip_text(path);
 
-        {
-            Glib::DateTime mod_time;
-#if GLIBMM_CHECK_VERSION(2, 62, 0)
-            mod_time = file->query_info()->get_modification_date_time();
-            // Using this to reduce instead of ActionFullName widget because fullname is searched
-#else
-            mod_time.create_now_local(file->query_info()->modification_time());
-#endif
-            CPShortcut.set_text(mod_time.format("%d %b %R"));
-        }
-        // Add to suggestions
-        if (is_suggestion) {
-            _CPSuggestions.append(CPOperation);
-        } else {
-            _CPHistory.append(CPOperation);
-        }
+    // Add to suggestions
+    if (is_suggestion) {
+        _CPSuggestions.append(CPOperation);
+    } else {
+        _CPHistory.append(CPOperation);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/dialog/startup.cpp b/src/ui/dialog/startup.cpp
index cb39918cc3a18999559045d8f01e76aa1e302bac..7fad62ca77e0639e26552006327edd0535f6307a 100644
--- a/src/ui/dialog/startup.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/dialog/startup.cpp
@@ -341,8 +341,8 @@ StartScreen::enlist_recent_files()
             // This uri is a GVFS uri, so parse it with that or it will fail.
             auto file = Gio::File::create_for_uri(item->get_uri());
             std::string path = file->get_path();
-            if (!path.empty() && Glib::file_test(path, Glib::FileTest::IS_REGULAR)
-                && item->get_mime_type() == "image/svg+xml") {
+            // Note: Do not check if the file exists, to avoid long delays. See https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/issues/2348 .
+            if (!path.empty() && item->get_mime_type() == "image/svg+xml") {
                 Gtk::TreeModel::Row row = *(store->append());
                 row[cols.col_name] = item->get_display_name();
                 row[cols.col_id] = item->get_uri();