diff --git a/src/lib/Application.cpp b/src/lib/Application.cpp
index 99843616..d2bad53f 100644
--- a/src/lib/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/Application.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ void Application::createInstance(
 	Version::setApplicationVersion(version);
 	loadSettings();
 
-	SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::createInstance()->run(Application::getUUID());
+	SharedMemoryGarbageCollector* collector = SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::createInstance();
+	if (collector)
+	{
+		collector->run(Application::getUUID());
+	}
 
 	TaskScheduler::getInstance();
 	MessageQueue::getInstance();
@@ -128,7 +132,11 @@ Application::~Application()
 		m_mainView->saveLayout();
 	}
 
-	SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::getInstance()->stop();
+	SharedMemoryGarbageCollector* collector = SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::createInstance();
+	if (collector)
+	{
+		collector->stop();
+	}
 }
 
 const std::shared_ptr<Project> Application::getCurrentProject()
@@ -214,7 +222,7 @@ void Application::createAndLoadProject(const FilePath& projectSettingsFilePath)
 
 void Application::refreshProject(bool force)
 {
-	if (m_project)
+	if (m_project && checkSharedMemory())
 	{
 		bool indexing = m_project->refresh(force);
 		if (indexing)
@@ -443,3 +451,19 @@ void Application::updateTitle()
 		m_mainView->setTitle(title);
 	}
 }
+
+bool Application::checkSharedMemory()
+{
+	std::string error = SharedMemory::checkSharedMemory(getUUID());
+	if (error.size())
+	{
+		MessageStatus("Error on accessing shared memory. Indexing not possible. Please restart computer or run as admin: " + error, true).dispatch();
+		handleDialog(
+			"There was an error accessing shared memory on your computer: " + error + "\n\n"
+			"Project indexing is not possible. Please restart your computer or try running Sourcetrail as admin. If the "
+			"issue persists contact mail@sourcetrail.com");
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/Application.h b/src/lib/Application.h
index 63ec2664..4a6f4d89 100644
--- a/src/lib/Application.h
+++ b/src/lib/Application.h
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ private:
 
 	void updateTitle();
 
+	bool checkSharedMemory();
+
 	const bool m_hasGUI;
 	std::shared_ptr<Project> m_project;
 	std::shared_ptr<StorageCache> m_storageCache;
diff --git a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.cpp b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.cpp
index ece0effc..f032b036 100644
--- a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,23 @@ std::string SharedMemory::checkName(const std::string& name)
 	return name.size() > 18 ? name.substr(0, 18) : name;
 }
 
+std::string SharedMemory::checkSharedMemory(const std::string& name)
+{
+	std::string error;
+
+	try
+	{
+		SharedMemory memory("test_" + name, 65536 /* 64 kB */, CREATE_AND_DELETE);
+	}
+	catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e)
+	{
+		LOG_ERROR_STREAM(<< "boost exception thrown at shared memory check: " << e.what());
+		error = e.what();
+	}
+
+	return error;
+}
+
 void SharedMemory::deleteSharedMemory(const std::string& name)
 {
 	boost::interprocess::shared_memory_object::remove((s_memoryNamePrefix + name).c_str());
@@ -116,11 +133,10 @@ SharedMemory::SharedMemory(const std::string& name, size_t initialMemorySize, Ac
 			boost::interprocess::named_mutex mutex(boost::interprocess::open_only, getMutexName().c_str());
 			boost::interprocess::scoped_lock<boost::interprocess::named_mutex> lock(mutex, boost::interprocess::try_to_lock);
 		}
-
 	}
 	catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e)
 	{
-		LOG_ERROR_STREAM(<< "boost exception thrown at shared momory creation - " << getMemoryName() << ": " << e.what());
+		LOG_ERROR_STREAM(<< "boost exception thrown at shared memory creation - " << getMemoryName() << ": " << e.what());
 		throw e;
 	}
 }
@@ -142,7 +158,7 @@ SharedMemory::~SharedMemory()
 	}
 	catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e)
 	{
-		LOG_ERROR_STREAM(<< "boost exception thrown at shared momory destruction - " << getMemoryName() << ": " << e.what());
+		LOG_ERROR_STREAM(<< "boost exception thrown at shared memory destruction - " << getMemoryName() << ": " << e.what());
 		throw e;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.h b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.h
index c444730c..a1fa3919 100644
--- a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.h
+++ b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemory.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public:
 
 	// Names addressing shared memory objects longer than 29 characters can throw and exception
 	static std::string checkName(const std::string& name);
+	static std::string checkSharedMemory(const std::string& name);
 	static void deleteSharedMemory(const std::string& name);
 
 	SharedMemory(const std::string& name, size_t initialMemorySize, AccessMode mode);
diff --git a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemoryGarbageCollector.cpp b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemoryGarbageCollector.cpp
index f782d3cb..1732880a 100644
--- a/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemoryGarbageCollector.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/utility/interprocess/SharedMemoryGarbageCollector.cpp
@@ -17,9 +17,15 @@ std::shared_ptr<SharedMemoryGarbageCollector> SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::s_in
 
 SharedMemoryGarbageCollector* SharedMemoryGarbageCollector::createInstance()
 {
-	if (!s_instance)
+	try
+	{
+		if (!s_instance)
+		{
+			s_instance = std::shared_ptr<SharedMemoryGarbageCollector>(new SharedMemoryGarbageCollector());
+		}
+	}
+	catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e)
 	{
-		s_instance = std::shared_ptr<SharedMemoryGarbageCollector>(new SharedMemoryGarbageCollector());
 	}
 
 	return s_instance.get();