diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index eefc739a..c8ad73c0 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "assert.hh"
 #include "utils.hh"
 #include "context.hh"
+#include "file.hh"
 
 #include <algorithm>
 
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@ Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags, std::vector<String> lines)
 {
     BufferManager::instance().register_buffer(*this);
 
+    if (flags & Flags::File)
+        m_name = real_path(m_name);
+
     if (lines.empty())
         lines.emplace_back("\n");
 
@@ -58,6 +62,13 @@ Buffer::~Buffer()
     assert(m_change_listeners.empty());
 }
 
+String Buffer::display_name() const
+{
+    if (m_flags & Flags::File)
+        return compact_path(m_name);
+    return m_name;
+}
+
 BufferIterator Buffer::iterator_at(const BufferCoord& line_and_column,
                                    bool avoid_eol) const
 {
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index f29ca77f..f3c80afc 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ public:
     BufferIterator iterator_at_line_end(LineCount line) const;
 
     const String& name() const { return m_name; }
+    String display_name() const;
 
     // returns true if the buffer is in a different state than
     // the last time it was saved
diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.cc b/src/buffer_manager.cc
index 0fae2a17..7e62acfb 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.cc
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "exception.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
 #include "client_manager.hh"
+#include "file.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -49,7 +50,9 @@ Buffer* BufferManager::get_buffer_ifp(const String& name)
 {
     for (auto& buf : m_buffers)
     {
-        if (buf->name() == name)
+        if (buf->name() == name or
+            (buf->flags() & Buffer::Flags::File and
+             real_path(buf->name()) == real_path(parse_filename(name))))
             return buf.get();
     }
     return nullptr;
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ CandidateList BufferManager::complete_buffername(const String& prefix,
     CandidateList result;
     for (auto& buffer : m_buffers)
     {
-        const String& name = buffer->name();
+        String name = buffer->display_name();
         if (name.substr(0, real_prefix.length()) == real_prefix)
             result.push_back(escape(name));
     }
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ CandidateList BufferManager::complete_buffername(const String& prefix,
             Regex ex(real_prefix.begin(), real_prefix.end());
             for (auto& buffer : m_buffers)
             {
-                const String& name = buffer->name();
+                String name = buffer->display_name();
                 if (boost::regex_search(name.begin(), name.end(), ex))
                     result.push_back(escape(name));
             }
diff --git a/src/client_manager.cc b/src/client_manager.cc
index 9e8e9d64..a7919cf1 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.cc
+++ b/src/client_manager.cc
@@ -195,11 +195,9 @@ static String generate_status_line(const Context& context)
 {
     BufferCoord cursor = context.editor().main_selection().last().coord();
     std::ostringstream oss;
-    String name = context.buffer().name();
-    if (context.buffer().flags() & Buffer::Flags::File)
-        name = compact_path(name);
 
-    oss << name << " " << (int)cursor.line+1 << "," << (int)cursor.column+1;
+    oss << context.buffer().display_name()
+        << " " << (int)cursor.line+1 << "," << (int)cursor.column+1;
     if (context.buffer().is_modified())
         oss << " [+]";
     if (context.input_handler().is_recording())
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 1a95ec15..7731ae11 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ void edit(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     if (param_count == 0 or param_count > 3)
         throw wrong_argument_count();
 
-    const bool file = not parser.has_option("scratch") and not parser.has_option("fifo");
-    String name = file ? real_path(parse_filename(parser[0])) : parser[0];
+    const String name = parser[0];
 
     Buffer* buffer = nullptr;
     if (not force_reload)