diff --git a/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
index 163b10416..44a8c4ba6 100644
--- a/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/app-spec.coffee
@@ -11,14 +11,28 @@ describe "App", ->
     window.close() for window in app.windows()
 
   describe "open", ->
-    it "loads a buffer based on the given path and displays it in a new window", ->
-      filePath = require.resolve 'fixtures/sample.txt'
-      expect(app.windows().length).toBe 0
+    describe "when opening a filePath", ->
+      it "loads a buffer with filePath contents and displays it in a new window", ->
+        filePath = require.resolve 'fixtures/sample.txt'
+        expect(app.windows().length).toBe 0
 
-      app.open filePath
+        app.open filePath
 
-      expect(app.windows().length).toBe 1
-      newWindow = app.windows()[0]
+        expect(app.windows().length).toBe 1
+        newWindow = app.windows()[0]
 
-      expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.url).toEqual filePath
-      expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.getText()).toEqual fs.read(filePath)
+        expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.url).toEqual filePath
+        expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.getText()).toEqual fs.read(filePath)
+
+    describe "when opening a dirPath", ->
+      it "loads an empty buffer", ->
+        dirPath = require.resolve 'fixtures'
+        expect(app.windows().length).toBe 0
+
+        app.open dirPath
+
+        expect(app.windows().length).toBe 1
+        newWindow = app.windows()[0]
+
+        expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.url).toBeUndefined
+        expect(newWindow.rootView.editor.buffer.getText()).toBe ""
diff --git a/spec/atom/root-view-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/root-view-spec.coffee
index 12cfa39d1..706865e7e 100644
--- a/spec/atom/root-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/root-view-spec.coffee
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ describe "RootView", ->
     rootView = RootView.build {url}
 
   describe "initialize", ->
-    describe "when called with a url", ->
-      describe "when the url references a file", ->
-        it "creates a project for the file's parent directory and opens it in the editor", ->
-          expect(rootView.project.url).toBe fs.directory(url)
-          expect(rootView.editor.buffer.url).toBe url
+    describe "when called with a url that references a file", ->
+      it "creates a project for the file's parent directory and opens it in the editor", ->
+        expect(rootView.project.url).toBe fs.directory(url)
+        expect(rootView.editor.buffer.url).toBe url
+
+    describe "when called with a url that references a directory", ->
+      it "creates a project for the directory and opens and empty buffer", ->
+        url = require.resolve 'fixtures/dir'
+        rootView = RootView.build {url}
+
+        expect(rootView.project.url).toBe url
+        expect(rootView.editor.buffer.url).toBeUndefined()
 
     describe "when not called with a url", ->
       it "opens an empty buffer", ->
diff --git a/src/atom/root-view.coffee b/src/atom/root-view.coffee
index 04c126da1..1c20dc7cc 100644
--- a/src/atom/root-view.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/root-view.coffee
@@ -21,8 +21,14 @@ class RootView extends Template
       @bindKey 'meta+w', => window.close()
       @bindKey 'meta+t', => @toggleFileFinder()
 
-      @project = new Project(fs.directory(url)) if url
-      @editor.open url
+      if not url
+        # not sure what to do
+      else if fs.isDirectory url
+        @project = new Project url
+        @editor.open()
+      else
+        @project = new Project(fs.directory(url))
+        @editor.open url
 
     addPane: (view) ->
       pane = $('<div class="pane">')