diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.cc b/src/buffer_manager.cc
index 14e6f723..d482f28a 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.cc
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.cc
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ void BufferManager::unregister_buffer(Buffer& buffer)
     assert(false);
 }
 
-Buffer* BufferManager::get_buffer(const String& name)
+Buffer* BufferManager::get_buffer_ifp(const String& name)
 {
     for (auto& buf : m_buffers)
     {
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ Buffer* BufferManager::get_buffer(const String& name)
     return nullptr;
 }
 
+Buffer& BufferManager::get_buffer(const String& name)
+{
+    Buffer* res = get_buffer_ifp(name);
+    if (not res)
+        throw runtime_error("no such buffer '" + name + "'");
+    return *res;
+}
+
 void BufferManager::set_last_used_buffer(Buffer& buffer)
 {
     auto it = m_buffers.begin();
diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.hh b/src/buffer_manager.hh
index d8065578..3d90c1f8 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.hh
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.hh
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ public:
     iterator end() const { return m_buffers.cend(); }
     size_t   count() const { return m_buffers.size(); }
 
-    Buffer* get_buffer(const String& name);
+    Buffer* get_buffer_ifp(const String& name);
+    Buffer& get_buffer(const String& name);
     void    set_last_used_buffer(Buffer& buffer);
 
     CandidateList complete_buffername(const String& prefix,
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 25be78a4..0d88e597 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void edit(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
 
     Buffer* buffer = nullptr;
     if (not force_reload)
-        buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(name);
+        buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer_ifp(name);
     if (not buffer)
     {
         if (parser.has_option("scratch"))
@@ -209,18 +209,14 @@ void show_buffer(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     if (params.size() != 1)
         throw wrong_argument_count();
 
-    const String& buffer_name = params[0];
-    Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(buffer_name);
-    if (not buffer)
-        throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer_name + " does not exists");
+    Buffer& buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(params[0]);
+    BufferManager::instance().set_last_used_buffer(buffer);
 
-    BufferManager::instance().set_last_used_buffer(*buffer);
-
-    if (buffer != &context.buffer())
+    if (&buffer != &context.buffer())
     {
         context.push_jump();
         auto& manager = ClientManager::instance();
-        context.change_editor(manager.get_unused_window_for_buffer(*buffer));
+        context.change_editor(manager.get_unused_window_for_buffer(buffer));
     }
 }
 
@@ -231,24 +227,15 @@ void delete_buffer(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
         throw wrong_argument_count();
 
     BufferManager& manager = BufferManager::instance();
-    Buffer* buffer = nullptr;
-    if (params.empty())
-        buffer = &context.buffer();
-    else
-    {
-        const String& buffer_name = params[0];
-        buffer = manager.get_buffer(buffer_name);
-        if (not buffer)
-            throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer_name + " does not exists");
-    }
-    if (not force and (buffer->flags() & Buffer::Flags::File) and buffer->is_modified())
-        throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer->name() + " is modified");
+    Buffer& buffer = params.empty() ? context.buffer() : manager.get_buffer(params[0]);
+    if (not force and (buffer.flags() & Buffer::Flags::File) and buffer.is_modified())
+        throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer.name() + " is modified");
 
     if (manager.count() == 1)
-        throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer->name() + " is the last one");
+        throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer.name() + " is the last one");
 
-    ClientManager::instance().ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(*buffer);
-    delete buffer;
+    ClientManager::instance().ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(buffer);
+    delete &buffer;
 }
 
 template<typename Group>
diff --git a/src/debug.cc b/src/debug.cc
index 5f0fecab..9cfa0cd8 100644
--- a/src/debug.cc
+++ b/src/debug.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 static Buffer& get_or_create_debug_buffer()
 {
     static const String debug_buffer_name("*debug*");
-    Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(debug_buffer_name);
+    Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer_ifp(debug_buffer_name);
 
     if (not buffer)
         buffer = new Buffer(debug_buffer_name, Buffer::Flags::NoUndo);
diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index bc8ce4a8..e6f08996 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(const String& filename)
     const char* data = (const char*)mmap(nullptr, st.st_size, PROT_READ, MAP_PRIVATE, fd, 0);
     auto cleanup = on_scope_end([&]{ munmap((void*)data, st.st_size); close(fd); });
 
-    if (Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(filename))
+    if (Buffer* buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer_ifp(filename))
         delete buffer;
 
     const char* pos = data;