diff --git a/spec/pane-spec.coffee b/spec/pane-spec.coffee
index 75d3661dc..3c367eac5 100644
--- a/spec/pane-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/pane-spec.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 PaneContainer = require '../src/pane-container'
 Pane = require '../src/pane'
-{$, View} = require 'atom'
+{fs, $, View} = require 'atom'
 path = require 'path'
 temp = require 'temp'
 
@@ -347,14 +347,14 @@ describe "Pane", ->
 
       describe "when the current item has a saveAs method", ->
         it "opens a save dialog and saves the current item as the selected path", ->
-          spyOn(editor2, 'saveAs')
-          editor2.buffer.setPath(undefined)
-          pane.showItem(editor2)
+          newEditor = atom.project.openSync()
+          spyOn(newEditor, 'saveAs')
+          pane.showItem(newEditor)
 
           pane.trigger 'core:save'
 
           expect(atom.showSaveDialogSync).toHaveBeenCalled()
-          expect(editor2.saveAs).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/selected/path')
+          expect(newEditor.saveAs).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/selected/path')
 
       describe "when the current item has no saveAs method", ->
         it "does nothing", ->
@@ -421,6 +421,17 @@ describe "Pane", ->
       view2.trigger 'title-changed'
       expect(activeItemTitleChangedHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
 
+  describe "when an unmodifed buffer's path is deleted its pane item is removed", ->
+    it "removes the pane item", ->
+      filePath = temp.openSync('atom').path
+      editor = atom.project.openSync(filePath)
+      pane.showItem(editor)
+      expect(pane.items).toHaveLength(5)
+
+      fs.removeSync(filePath)
+      waitsFor ->
+        pane.items.length == 4
+
   describe ".remove()", ->
     it "destroys all the pane's items", ->
       pane.remove()
diff --git a/src/editor.coffee b/src/editor.coffee
index 51cf56c98..f8fdef4d8 100644
--- a/src/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/editor.coffee
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ class Editor
     @subscribe @buffer, "contents-modified", => @emit "contents-modified"
     @subscribe @buffer, "contents-conflicted", => @emit "contents-conflicted"
     @subscribe @buffer, "modified-status-changed", => @emit "modified-status-changed"
+    @subscribe @buffer, "destroyed", => @destroy()
     @preserveCursorPositionOnBufferReload()
 
   # Private:
diff --git a/src/pane.coffee b/src/pane.coffee
index 765e914dc..112ee045d 100644
--- a/src/pane.coffee
+++ b/src/pane.coffee
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ class Pane extends View
     @items.splice(index, 0, item)
     @getContainer()?.itemAdded(item)
     @trigger 'pane:item-added', [item, index]
+    if item.on
+      @subscribe item, 'destroyed', => @destroyItem(item)
     item
 
   # Public: Remove the currently active item.
@@ -198,11 +200,11 @@ class Pane extends View
 
   # Public: Remove the specified item.
   destroyItem: (item) ->
+    @unsubscribe(item) if item.off
     @trigger 'pane:before-item-destroyed', [item]
-    container = @getContainer()
 
     if @promptToSaveItem(item)
-      container.itemDestroyed(item)
+      @getContainer()?.itemDestroyed(item)
       @removeItem(item)
       item.destroy?()
       true
diff --git a/src/text-buffer.coffee b/src/text-buffer.coffee
index 91125a888..a63406c99 100644
--- a/src/text-buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/text-buffer.coffee
@@ -116,8 +116,12 @@ class TextBuffer extends telepath.Model
         @reload()
 
     @file.on "removed", =>
-      @wasModifiedBeforeRemove = @getText() != @cachedDiskContents
-      @updateCachedDiskContents()
+      modified = @getText() != @cachedDiskContents
+      @wasModifiedBeforeRemove = modified
+      if modified
+        @updateCachedDiskContents()
+      else
+        @destroy()
 
     @file.on "moved", =>
       @emit "path-changed", this