diff --git a/spec/root-view-spec.coffee b/spec/root-view-spec.coffee
index 76630c0ca..4f0180ef2 100644
--- a/spec/root-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/root-view-spec.coffee
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ describe "RootView", ->
       rootView.trigger 'window:decrease-font-size'
       expect(config.get('editor.fontSize')).toBe 1
 
-  describe ".open(filePath, options)", ->
+  describe ".openSync(filePath, options)", ->
     describe "when there is no active pane", ->
       beforeEach ->
         spyOn(Pane.prototype, 'focus')
@@ -242,6 +242,12 @@ describe "RootView", ->
           editSession = rootView.openSync('b', changeFocus: false)
           expect(rootView.getActivePane().focus).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
+      describe "when the split option is 'right'", ->
+        it "creates a new pane and opens the file in said pane", ->
+          editSession = rootView.openSync('b', split: 'right')
+          expect(rootView.getActivePane().activeItem).toBe editSession
+          expect(editSession.getPath()).toBe require.resolve('./fixtures/dir/b')
+
     describe "when there is an active pane", ->
       [activePane, initialItemCount] = []
       beforeEach ->
@@ -284,7 +290,55 @@ describe "RootView", ->
           editSession = rootView.openSync('b', changeFocus: false)
           expect(activePane.focus).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
-  describe ".openAsync(filePath)", ->
+      describe "when the split option is 'right'", ->
+        it "creates a new pane and opens the file in said pane", ->
+          pane1 = rootView.getActivePane()
+
+          editSession = rootView.openSync('b', split: 'right')
+          pane2 = rootView.getActivePane()
+          expect(pane2[0]).not.toBe pane1[0]
+          expect(editSession.getPath()).toBe require.resolve('./fixtures/dir/b')
+
+          expect(rootView.panes.find('.row .pane').toArray()).toEqual [pane1[0], pane2[0]]
+
+          editSession = rootView.openSync('file1', split: 'right')
+          pane3 = rootView.getActivePane()
+          expect(pane3[0]).toBe pane2[0]
+          expect(editSession.getPath()).toBe require.resolve('./fixtures/dir/file1')
+
+          expect(rootView.panes.find('.row .pane').toArray()).toEqual [pane1[0], pane2[0]]
+
+  describe ".openSingletonSync(filePath, options)", ->
+    describe "when there is an active pane", ->
+      [pane1] = []
+      beforeEach ->
+        spyOn(Pane.prototype, 'focus').andCallFake -> @makeActive()
+        pane1 = rootView.getActivePane()
+
+      it "creates a new pane and reuses the file when already open", ->
+        rootView.openSingletonSync('b', split: 'right')
+        pane2 = rootView.getActivePane()
+        expect(pane2[0]).not.toBe pane1[0]
+        expect(pane1.itemForUri('b')).toBeFalsy()
+        expect(pane2.itemForUri('b')).not.toBeFalsy()
+        expect(rootView.panes.find('.row .pane').toArray()).toEqual [pane1[0], pane2[0]]
+
+        pane1.focus()
+        expect(rootView.getActivePane()[0]).toBe pane1[0]
+
+        rootView.openSingletonSync('b', split: 'right')
+        pane3 = rootView.getActivePane()
+        expect(pane3[0]).toBe pane2[0]
+        expect(pane1.itemForUri('b')).toBeFalsy()
+        expect(pane2.itemForUri('b')).not.toBeFalsy()
+        expect(rootView.panes.find('.row .pane').toArray()).toEqual [pane1[0], pane2[0]]
+
+      it "reuses the file when already open", ->
+        rootView.openSync('b')
+        rootView.openSingletonSync('b', split: 'right')
+        expect(rootView.panes.find('.pane').toArray()).toEqual [pane1[0]]
+
+  describe ".open(filePath)", ->
     beforeEach ->
       spyOn(Pane.prototype, 'focus')
 
diff --git a/src/pane-container.coffee b/src/pane-container.coffee
index 1a6759628..1b40ba0a8 100644
--- a/src/pane-container.coffee
+++ b/src/pane-container.coffee
@@ -161,6 +161,12 @@ class PaneContainer extends View
   getActiveView: ->
     @getActivePane()?.activeView
 
+  paneForUri: (uri) ->
+    for pane in @getPanes()
+      view = pane.itemForUri(uri)
+      return pane if view?
+    null
+
   adjustPaneDimensions: ->
     if root = @getRoot()
       root.css(width: '100%', height: '100%', top: 0, left: 0)
diff --git a/src/root-view.coffee b/src/root-view.coffee
index 09ab4e291..175368da6 100644
--- a/src/root-view.coffee
+++ b/src/root-view.coffee
@@ -194,23 +194,44 @@ class RootView extends View
       editSession
 
   # Private: Only used in specs
-  openSync: (filePath, options = {}) ->
-    changeFocus = options.changeFocus ? true
-    initialLine = options.initialLine
-    filePath = project.relativize(filePath)
-    if activePane = @getActivePane()
-      if filePath
-        editSession = activePane.itemForUri(filePath) ? project.openSync(filePath, {initialLine})
-      else
-        editSession = project.openSync()
-      activePane.showItem(editSession)
-    else
-      editSession = project.openSync(filePath, {initialLine})
-      activePane = new Pane(editSession)
-      @panes.setRoot(activePane)
+  openSync: (uri, {changeFocus, initialLine, pane, split}={}) ->
+    changeFocus ?= true
+    pane ?= @getActivePane()
+    uri = project.relativize(uri)
 
-    activePane.focus() if changeFocus
-    editSession
+    if pane
+      if uri
+        paneItem = pane.itemForUri(uri) ? project.openSync(uri, {initialLine})
+      else
+        paneItem = project.openSync()
+
+      if split
+        panes = @getPanes()
+        if panes.length == 1
+          pane = panes[0].splitRight()
+        else
+          pane = _.last(panes)
+
+      pane.showItem(paneItem)
+    else
+      paneItem = project.openSync(uri, {initialLine})
+      pane = new Pane(paneItem)
+      @panes.setRoot(pane)
+
+    pane.focus() if changeFocus
+    paneItem
+
+  openSingletonSync: (uri, {split}={}) ->
+    uri = project.relativize(uri)
+    pane = @panes.paneForUri(uri)
+
+    if pane
+      paneItem = pane.itemForUri(uri)
+      pane.showItem(paneItem)
+      pane.focus()
+      paneItem
+    else
+      @openSync(uri, {split})
 
   # Public: Updates the application's title, based on whichever file is open.
   updateTitle: ->