diff --git a/bebop/__main__.py b/bebop/__main__.py
index a8b928e..360a45c 100644
--- a/bebop/__main__.py
+++ b/bebop/__main__.py
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ def main():
 
     if args.url:
         start_url = args.url
-        if not start_url.startswith("gemini://"):
-            start_url = "gemini://" + start_url
     else:
         start_url = None
 
diff --git a/bebop/browser.py b/bebop/browser.py
index be81fd0..5d1bb26 100644
--- a/bebop/browser.py
+++ b/bebop/browser.py
@@ -65,12 +65,10 @@ class Browser:
         )
         self.command_line = CommandLine(command_line_window)
 
-        pending_url = start_url
-        while self.running:
-            if pending_url:
-                self.open_url(pending_url)
-                pending_url = None
+        if start_url:
+            self.open_url(start_url, assume_absolute=True)
 
+        while self.running:
             char = self.screen.getch()
             if char == ord(":"):
                 self.quick_command("")
@@ -191,6 +189,8 @@ class Browser:
             self.open_gemini_url(sanitize_url(url), redirects)
         elif parts.scheme.startswith("http"):
             self.open_web_url(url)
+        elif parts.scheme == "file":
+            self.open_file(parts.path)
         else:
             self.set_status_error(f"Protocol {parts.scheme} not supported.")
 
@@ -461,3 +461,15 @@ class Browser:
         """Open a Web URL. Currently relies in Python's webbrowser module."""
         self.set_status(f"Opening {url}")
         open_new_tab(url)
+
+    def open_file(self, filepath):
+        """Open a file and render it.
+
+        This should be used only on Gemtext files or at least text files.
+        Anything else will produce garbage and may crash the program.
+        """
+        try:
+            with open(filepath, "rb") as f:
+                self.load_page(f.read())
+        except (OSError, ValueError) as exc:
+            self.set_status_error(f"Failed to open file: {exc}")
diff --git a/bebop/navigation.py b/bebop/navigation.py
index b2b8827..5cb21fa 100644
--- a/bebop/navigation.py
+++ b/bebop/navigation.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ def parse_url(url: str, absolute: bool =False):
       though it technically is not, e.g. "dece.space" is not absolute as it
       misses either the // delimiter.
     """
+    url = url.strip()
+    if url.startswith("file://"):
+        return urllib.parse.urlparse(url)
     if url.startswith("gemini://"):
         url = url[7:]
     parts = urllib.parse.urlparse(url, scheme="gemini")
@@ -42,5 +45,5 @@ def set_parameter(url: str, user_input: str):
     """Return a new URL with the user input escaped (RFC 3986) appended."""
     quoted_input = urllib.parse.quote(user_input)
     if "?" in url:
-        url = url.rsplit("?", maxsplit=1)[0]
+        url = url.split("?", maxsplit=1)[0]
     return url + "?" + quoted_input
diff --git a/bebop/tests/test_navigation.py b/bebop/tests/test_navigation.py
index 83a9592..88556a1 100644
--- a/bebop/tests/test_navigation.py
+++ b/bebop/tests/test_navigation.py
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ class TestNavigation(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(res.netloc, "dece.space")
         self.assertEqual(res.path, "/index.html")
 
+        res = parse_url("file:///home/dece/gemini/index.gmi")
+        self.assertEqual(res.scheme, "file")
+        self.assertEqual(res.path, "/home/dece/gemini/index.gmi")
+
     def test_join_url(self):
         url = join_url("gemini://dece.space/", "some-file.gmi")
         self.assertEqual(url, "gemini://dece.space/some-file.gmi")