diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 0baec150..f8a5a74d 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ void edit(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     if (param_count == 0 or param_count > 3)
         throw wrong_argument_count();
 
-    const String& name = parser[0];
+    String name = canonicalize_filename(parse_filename(parser[0]));
 
     Buffer* buffer = nullptr;
     if (not force_reload)
diff --git a/src/file.cc b/src/file.cc
index e6f08996..807b09cd 100644
--- a/src/file.cc
+++ b/src/file.cc
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ String parse_filename(const String& filename)
     return result;
 }
 
+String canonicalize_filename(const String& filename)
+{
+    return filename.replace(R"(((^|(?<=/))\./)+|[^/]+/\.\./)", "");
+}
+
 String read_file(const String& filename)
 {
     int fd = open(parse_filename(filename).c_str(), O_RDONLY);
@@ -71,9 +76,11 @@ String read_file(const String& filename)
     return content;
 }
 
-Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(const String& filename)
+Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(String filename)
 {
-    int fd = open(parse_filename(filename).c_str(), O_RDONLY);
+    filename = canonicalize_filename(parse_filename(filename));
+
+    int fd = open(filename.c_str(), O_RDONLY);
     if (fd == -1)
     {
         if (errno == ENOENT)
diff --git a/src/file.hh b/src/file.hh
index 7fa349c6..37621745 100644
--- a/src/file.hh
+++ b/src/file.hh
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ class Buffer;
 
 // parse ~/ and $env values in filename and returns the translated filename
 String parse_filename(const String& filename);
+String canonicalize_filename(const String& filename);
 
 String read_file(const String& filename);
-Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(const String& filename);
+Buffer* create_buffer_from_file(String filename);
 void write_buffer_to_file(const Buffer& buffer, const String& filename);
 String find_file(const String& filename, const memoryview<String>& paths);