diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
index 96a7794e..f0842fa7 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
@@ -245,20 +245,21 @@ class MpdContext(object):
         self.core = core
         self.events = set()
         self.subscriptions = set()
-        self.to_uri = dict()
-        self.from_uri = dict()
-        self.refresh_maps()
+        self.to_uri = {}
+        self.from_uri = {}
+        self.refresh_playlists_mapping()
 
-    def refresh_maps(self):
-        self.to_uri.clear()
-        self.from_uri.clear()
-        for playlist in self.core.playlists.playlists.get():
-            if not playlist.name:
-                continue
-            name = playlist.name
-            i = 1
-            while name in self.to_uri:
-                name = '%s [%d]' % playlist.name % i
-                i += 1
-            self.to_uri[name] = playlist.uri
-            self.from_uri[playlist.uri] = name
+    def refresh_playlists_mapping(self):
+        if self.core is not None:
+            self.to_uri.clear()
+            self.from_uri.clear()
+            for playlist in self.core.playlists.playlists.get():
+                if not playlist.name:
+                    continue
+                name = playlist.name
+                i = 1
+                while name in self.to_uri:
+                    name = '%s [%d]' % playlist.name % i
+                    i += 1
+                self.to_uri[name] = playlist.uri
+                self.from_uri[playlist.uri] = name
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
index efb9a0fd..be641467 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/music_db.py
@@ -381,8 +381,11 @@ def searchaddpl(context, playlist_name, mpd_query):
         return
     results = context.core.library.search(**query).get()
 
+    if len(context.to_uri) == 0:
+        context.refresh_playlists_mapping()
+
     if playlist_name in context.to_uri:
-        playlist = context.core.playlists.lookup(context.to_uri[playlist_name])
+        playlist = context.core.playlists.lookup(context.to_uri[playlist_name]).get()
     else:
         playlist = context.core.playlists.create(playlist_name).get()
     tracks = list(playlist.tracks) + _get_tracks(results)
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/stored_playlists.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/stored_playlists.py
index 4ec2f40c..5d43bc3c 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/stored_playlists.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/stored_playlists.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def listplaylists(context):
         if not playlist.name:
             continue
         if playlist.uri not in context.from_uri:
-            context.refresh_maps() # the maps are not synced, we refresh them
+            context.refresh_playlists_mapping() # the maps are not synced, we refresh them
         result.append(('playlist', context.from_uri[playlist.uri]))
         last_modified = (
             playlist.last_modified or dt.datetime.utcnow()).isoformat()