diff --git a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
index 78b15ce55..0b6ccb40b 100644
--- a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
@@ -38,6 +38,33 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
       buffer.setPath("moo.text")
       expect(eventHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(buffer)
 
+  describe "when the buffer's file is modified (via another process)", ->
+    path = null
+    beforeEach ->
+      path = fs.join(require.resolve('fixtures'), "tmp.txt")
+      fs.write(path, "first")
+
+    afterEach ->
+      fs.remove(path)
+
+    describe "when the buffer is in an unmodified", ->
+      it "triggers 'change' event", ->
+        buffer = new Buffer(path)
+        changeHandler = jasmine.createSpy('changeHandler')
+        buffer.on 'change', changeHandler
+        fs.write(path, "second")
+
+        expect(changeHandler.callCount).toBe 0
+        waitsFor "file to trigger change event", ->
+          changeHandler.callCount > 0
+
+        runs ->
+          [event] = changeHandler.argsForCall[0]
+          expect(event.oldRange).toEqual [[0, 0], [0, 5]]
+          expect(event.newRange).toEqual [[0, 0], [0, 6]]
+          expect(event.oldText).toBe "first"
+          expect(event.newText).toBe "second"
+
   describe ".isModified()", ->
     it "returns true when user changes buffer", ->
       expect(buffer.isModified()).toBeFalsy()
diff --git a/src/app/buffer.coffee b/src/app/buffer.coffee
index 9d8d6e567..b975152ed 100644
--- a/src/app/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/buffer.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 _ = require 'underscore'
 fs = require 'fs'
+File = require 'file'
 Point = require 'point'
 Range = require 'range'
 EventEmitter = require 'event-emitter'
@@ -10,7 +11,8 @@ class Buffer
   @idCounter = 1
   modified: null
   lines: null
-  path: null
+  file: null
+
 
   constructor: (path) ->
     @id = @constructor.idCounter++
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ class Buffer
     @modified = false
 
   getPath: ->
-    @path
+    @file.getPath()
 
   getExtension: ->
     if @getPath()
@@ -33,7 +35,9 @@ class Buffer
       null
 
   setPath: (path) ->
-    @path = path
+    @file = new File(path)
+    @file.on "contents-change", =>
+      @setText(fs.read(@file.getPath())) unless @isModified()
     @trigger "path-change", this
 
   getText: ->