diff --git a/lua/git/cmd.lua b/lua/git/cmd.lua
index c30da6d..656b76f 100644
--- a/lua/git/cmd.lua
+++ b/lua/git/cmd.lua
@@ -68,10 +68,39 @@ local function first_positional(args, start)
     end
 end
 
+---Open `<ref>:<path>` in a split via the `git://` BufReadCmd loader.
+---Resolves to a sha first so the URI stays stable if the ref moves.
+---@param worktree string
+---@param user_ref string
+---@param path string
+local function show_file_in_split(worktree, user_ref, path)
+    repo.rev_parse(worktree, user_ref, true, function(sha)
+        local label = sha or user_ref
+        local uri = "git://" .. label .. "//" .. path
+        local buf = vim.fn.bufadd(uri)
+        vim.b[buf].git_worktree = worktree
+        vim.cmd("split " .. vim.fn.fnameescape(uri))
+    end)
+end
+
 ---@param worktree string
 ---@param args string[]
 ---@param conf ow.Git.SplitHandler
 local function run_in_split(worktree, args, conf)
+    -- `<ref>:<path>` is a file lookup; the URI must carry the path so
+    -- filetype detection has something to match against.
+    if args[1] == "show" then
+        local arg = first_positional(args, 2)
+        if arg then
+            local ref, path = arg:match("^(.-):(.+)$")
+            if ref then
+                ---@cast path -nil
+                show_file_in_split(worktree, ref, path)
+                return
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
     local buf = git.new_scratch()
     vim.b[buf].git_worktree = worktree
     if conf.needs_ref then
@@ -80,7 +109,7 @@ local function run_in_split(worktree, args, conf)
             if not vim.api.nvim_buf_is_valid(buf) then
                 return
             end
-            pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_set_name, buf, "git://" .. label .. "/")
+            pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_set_name, buf, "git://" .. label .. "//")
             vim.bo[buf].filetype = conf.ft
         end
         repo.rev_parse(worktree, user_ref, true, function(sha)
diff --git a/lua/git/diff.lua b/lua/git/diff.lua
index 5710ea6..adec5eb 100644
--- a/lua/git/diff.lua
+++ b/lua/git/diff.lua
@@ -59,33 +59,58 @@ local function attach_index_writer(buf, worktree, path)
     })
 end
 
----Internal builder: create a scratch buffer and fill it with the output of
----`git show <revspec>`. Synchronous so the buffer is ready by the time the
----caller wires up windows / `:diffthis`. An empty buffer briefly visible
----to the diff engine produces a spurious whole-file diff.
+---Return a buffer holding the content at `<ref>:<path>`. `ref` is
+---"index", "HEAD", or a commit revspec.
 ---@param worktree string
----@param revspec string
----@param is_index boolean
----@param index_path string?  required when is_index is true
+---@param ref string
+---@param path string
 ---@return integer
-local function build_show_buf(worktree, revspec, is_index, index_path)
-    local buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
-    vim.bo[buf].buftype = "nofile"
-    vim.bo[buf].bufhidden = "wipe"
-    vim.bo[buf].swapfile = false
+function M.git_show_buf(worktree, ref, path)
+    local name = "git://" .. ref .. "//" .. path
+    local buf = vim.fn.bufadd(name)
+    vim.b[buf].git_worktree = worktree
+    vim.fn.bufload(buf)
+    return buf
+end
 
+---BufReadCmd handler for `git://<ref>//<path>` URIs. Worktree comes from
+---`vim.b[buf].git_worktree` if set, else from cwd. Ref of "index" maps
+---to `git show :<path>`; "worktree" leaves the buffer empty (placeholder
+---for missing files); anything else is a revspec.
+---@param buf integer
+function M.read_uri(buf)
+    local name = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_name(buf)
+    local ref, path = name:match("^git://(.-)//(.*)$")
+    if not ref or path == "" then
+        return
+    end
+    ---@cast path -nil
+
+    local worktree = vim.b[buf].git_worktree or select(2, repo.resolve_cwd())
+    if not worktree then
+        log.error("git BufReadCmd %s: cannot resolve worktree", name)
+        return
+    end
+    vim.b[buf].git_worktree = worktree
+
+    vim.bo[buf].swapfile = false
+    vim.bo[buf].bufhidden = "wipe"
+
+    if ref == "worktree" then
+        vim.bo[buf].buftype = "nofile"
+        vim.bo[buf].modifiable = false
+        vim.bo[buf].modified = false
+        vim.api.nvim_exec_autocmds("BufReadPost", { buffer = buf })
+        return
+    end
+
+    local revspec = ref == "index" and (":" .. path) or (ref .. ":" .. path)
     local result = vim.system(
         { "git", "show", revspec },
         { cwd = worktree, text = true }
     )
         :wait()
-    if result.code ~= 0 then
-        log.error(
-            "git show %s failed: %s",
-            revspec,
-            vim.trim(result.stderr or "")
-        )
-    else
+    if result.code == 0 then
         vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(
             buf,
             0,
@@ -93,45 +118,51 @@ local function build_show_buf(worktree, revspec, is_index, index_path)
             false,
             util.split_lines(result.stdout or "")
         )
+    else
+        log.error(
+            "git show %s failed: %s",
+            revspec,
+            vim.trim(result.stderr or "")
+        )
     end
 
-    if is_index then
+    if ref == "index" then
         vim.bo[buf].buftype = "acwrite"
-        attach_index_writer(buf, worktree, assert(index_path))
+        -- Re-running BufReadCmd (e.g. on `:edit`) would otherwise stack
+        -- another BufWriteCmd on the same buffer, so each `:w` runs
+        -- hash-object + update-index N times.
+        if not vim.b[buf].git_index_writer then
+            attach_index_writer(buf, worktree, path)
+            vim.b[buf].git_index_writer = true
+        end
     else
+        vim.bo[buf].buftype = "nofile"
         vim.bo[buf].modifiable = false
     end
     vim.bo[buf].modified = false
-    return buf
-end
 
----@param worktree string
----@param ref string '' for index, 'HEAD' or a sha for committed refs
----@param path string
----@param is_index boolean? true to hook :w to update the git index
----@return integer
-function M.git_show_buf(worktree, ref, path, is_index)
-    return build_show_buf(worktree, ref .. ":" .. path, is_index or false, path)
-end
-
----@param worktree string
----@param blob string  the blob SHA (full or abbreviated)
----@return integer
-function M.git_show_blob(worktree, blob)
-    return build_show_buf(worktree, blob, false, nil)
+    -- BufReadCmd suppresses the normal BufReadPost dispatch, so filetype
+    -- detection and modeline parsing don't run unless we fire it ourselves.
+    vim.api.nvim_exec_autocmds("BufReadPost", { buffer = buf })
 end
 
 ---@class ow.Git.EmptyBufOpts
 ---@field name string?
 ---@field bufhidden ("hide"|"wipe")?  defaults to "wipe"
 
----Build a read-only scratch buffer, optionally naming it via
----`nvim_buf_set_name` (silently no-op if a buffer with that name
----already exists).
+---Build a read-only scratch buffer, optionally naming it. When `opts.name`
+---is set and a loaded buffer with that name already exists, returns it
+---instead of creating a duplicate.
 ---@param opts ow.Git.EmptyBufOpts?
 ---@return integer
 function M.empty_buf(opts)
     opts = opts or {}
+    if opts.name then
+        local existing = vim.fn.bufnr(opts.name)
+        if existing ~= -1 and vim.api.nvim_buf_is_loaded(existing) then
+            return existing
+        end
+    end
     local buf = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(false, true)
     vim.bo[buf].buftype = "nofile"
     vim.bo[buf].bufhidden = opts.bufhidden or "wipe"
@@ -215,30 +246,15 @@ function M.split(opts)
         return
     end
 
-    local is_index = opts.ref == ""
-    local other = M.git_show_buf(worktree, opts.ref, rel, is_index)
-    local label = is_index and "index" or opts.ref
-    M.set_buf_name_and_filetype(other, "git://" .. label .. "/" .. rel)
+    local label = opts.ref == "" and "index" or opts.ref
+    local uri = "git://" .. label .. "//" .. rel
+    -- Stash the worktree on the buffer so the BufReadCmd handler doesn't
+    -- fall back to cwd resolution (wrong when cwd != worktree).
+    local buf = vim.fn.bufadd(uri)
+    vim.b[buf].git_worktree = worktree
 
-    local cur_win = vim.api.nvim_get_current_win()
-    local other_win = vim.api.nvim_open_win(other, true, {
-        split = opts.vertical and "left" or "above",
-        win = cur_win,
-    })
-
-    -- The synthetic index/HEAD buffer can't run BufRead, so its filetype
-    -- detection in `set_buf_name_and_filetype` only catches
-    -- filename-pattern matches. Mirror cur_buf's filetype, since this is
-    -- the same logical file at a different version. Done after the
-    -- window opens so any BufWinEnter / BufEnter autocmds that fire on
-    -- nvim_open_win can't undo it.
-    local cur_ft = vim.bo[cur_buf].filetype
-    if cur_ft ~= "" then
-        vim.bo[other].filetype = cur_ft
-    end
-
-    M.set_diff(cur_win, true)
-    M.set_diff(other_win, true)
+    local prefix = opts.vertical and "leftabove vert " or "leftabove "
+    vim.cmd(prefix .. "diffsplit " .. vim.fn.fnameescape(uri))
 end
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/git/init.lua b/lua/git/init.lua
index 33bef2a..75b0f9f 100644
--- a/lua/git/init.lua
+++ b/lua/git/init.lua
@@ -58,12 +58,19 @@ function M.setup()
     end
     vim.filetype.add({
         pattern = {
-            ["git://[^/]+/(.+)"] = function(_, bufnr, inner)
+            ["git://.-//(.+)"] = function(_, bufnr, inner)
                 return vim.filetype.match({ filename = inner, buf = bufnr })
             end,
         },
     })
     local group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup("ow.git", { clear = true })
+    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("BufReadCmd", {
+        pattern = "git://*",
+        group = group,
+        callback = function(args)
+            require("git.diff").read_uri(args.buf)
+        end,
+    })
     vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd(
         { "BufReadPost", "BufNewFile", "BufWritePost", "FileChangedShellPost" },
         {
diff --git a/lua/git/show.lua b/lua/git/show.lua
index 804ea39..c19ff91 100644
--- a/lua/git/show.lua
+++ b/lua/git/show.lua
@@ -80,30 +80,19 @@ local function is_zero(sha)
     return sha == nil or sha:match("^0+$") ~= nil
 end
 
----Build a buffer holding the file's content at a given blob, named after the
----commit ref it corresponds to (so the name lines up with `git log` output
----instead of an opaque blob hash).
+---Buffer for the file at `<ref>:<path>`. A zero/nil blob (file absent on
+---this side of the diff) yields an empty placeholder.
 ---@param worktree string
 ---@param blob string?
 ---@param path string
 ---@param ref string  the commit ref the blob represents (e.g. `<sha>` or `<sha>^`)
 ---@return integer
 local function blob_buf(worktree, blob, path, ref)
-    local name = "git://" .. ref .. "/" .. path
-    -- Reuse an existing buffer with this name (commit refs and blobs are
-    -- immutable, so the content is stable); avoids E95 collisions and
-    -- prevents accumulating duplicate buffers as the user navigates.
-    local existing = vim.fn.bufnr(name)
-    if existing ~= -1 and vim.api.nvim_buf_is_loaded(existing) then
-        return existing
-    end
+    local name = "git://" .. ref .. "//" .. path
     if is_zero(blob) then
         return diff.empty_buf({ name = name, bufhidden = "hide" })
     end
-    ---@cast blob string
-    local buf = diff.git_show_blob(worktree, blob)
-    diff.set_buf_name_and_filetype(buf, name)
-    return buf
+    return diff.git_show_buf(worktree, ref, path)
 end
 
 ---@param worktree string
@@ -143,7 +132,7 @@ end
 function M.open_commit(worktree, ref)
     repo.rev_parse(worktree, ref, true, function(resolved)
         local sha = resolved or ref
-        local name = "git://" .. sha .. "/"
+        local name = "git://" .. sha .. "//"
         -- Reuse a previously-opened buffer for the same commit; commit SHAs
         -- are immutable so the content is stable.
         local existing = vim.fn.bufnr(name)
diff --git a/lua/git/sidebar.lua b/lua/git/sidebar.lua
index 918bfca..37003f8 100644
--- a/lua/git/sidebar.lua
+++ b/lua/git/sidebar.lua
@@ -485,14 +485,14 @@ end
 local function head_pane(worktree, path)
     return {
         buf = diff.git_show_buf(worktree, "HEAD", path),
-        name = "git://HEAD/" .. path,
+        name = "git://HEAD//" .. path,
     }
 end
 
 ---@param path string
 ---@return ow.Git.DiffSide
 local function head_empty_pane(path)
-    return { buf = diff.empty_buf(), name = "git://HEAD/" .. path }
+    return { buf = diff.empty_buf(), name = "git://HEAD//" .. path }
 end
 
 ---@param worktree string
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ end
 ---@param path string
 ---@return ow.Git.DiffSide
 local function worktree_empty_pane(path)
-    return { buf = diff.empty_buf(), name = "git://worktree/" .. path }
+    return { buf = diff.empty_buf(), name = "git://worktree//" .. path }
 end
 
 ---@param s ow.Git.SidebarState
@@ -520,9 +520,9 @@ local function index_pane(s, entry)
         or (entry.section == "Staged" and entry.x == "D")
     )
     return {
-        buf = in_index and diff.git_show_buf(s.worktree, "", entry.path, true)
+        buf = in_index and diff.git_show_buf(s.worktree, "index", entry.path)
             or diff.empty_buf(),
-        name = "git://index/" .. entry.path,
+        name = "git://index//" .. entry.path,
     }
 end
 
@@ -727,15 +727,6 @@ local function show_diff(s, entry, focus_left)
             diff.set_buf_name_and_filetype(side.buf, side.name)
         end
     end
-    -- Synthetic index/HEAD buffers never run BufRead, so modeline-only
-    -- filetypes aren't detected. Copy from the side that did resolve.
-    local left_ft = vim.bo[pair.left.buf].filetype
-    local right_ft = vim.bo[pair.right.buf].filetype
-    if left_ft == "" and right_ft ~= "" then
-        vim.bo[pair.left.buf].filetype = right_ft
-    elseif right_ft == "" and left_ft ~= "" then
-        vim.bo[pair.right.buf].filetype = left_ft
-    end
     diff.set_diff(left_win, true)
     diff.set_diff(right_win, true)
     s.last_shown_key = key