diff --git a/Frameworks/file/src/type.cc b/Frameworks/file/src/type.cc
index 39c53f18..6e811d80 100644
--- a/Frameworks/file/src/type.cc
+++ b/Frameworks/file/src/type.cc
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ static std::string find_file_type (std::string const& path, io::bytes_ptr const&
 	if(res == NULL_STR && effectivePath != NULL_STR)
 		res = settings_for_path(effectivePath, "attr.file.unknown-type " + pathAttributes, settingsDirectory).get(kSettingsFileTypeKey, NULL_STR);
 
+	// check if file has no extension, if so, treat it as plain text
+	if(res == NULL_STR && path::extension(effectivePath).empty())
+		res = "text.plain";
+
 	return res;
 }
 
diff --git a/Frameworks/file/tests/t_open.cc b/Frameworks/file/tests/t_open.cc
index cfe586c4..ba1f6ff3 100644
--- a/Frameworks/file/tests/t_open.cc
+++ b/Frameworks/file/tests/t_open.cc
@@ -125,6 +125,21 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	void test_file_type ()
+	{
+		test::jail_t jail;
+		path::set_content(jail.path("test.x-unknown"), "dummy");
+
+		stall_t* cb = new stall_t(NULL_STR, "x.test");
+		file::open_callback_ptr sharedPtr((file::open_callback_t*)cb);
+		file::open(jail.path("test.x-unknown"), osx::authorization_t(), sharedPtr);
+		cb->wait();
+
+		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_error, false);
+		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_file_type, "x.test");
+		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(std::string(cb->_content->begin(), cb->_content->end()), "dummy");
+	}
+
+	void test_file_type_no_ext ()
 	{
 		test::jail_t jail;
 		path::set_content(jail.path("test"), "dummy");
@@ -135,18 +150,18 @@ public:
 		cb->wait();
 
 		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_error, false);
-		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_file_type, "x.test");
+		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_file_type, "text.plain");
 		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(std::string(cb->_content->begin(), cb->_content->end()), "dummy");
 	}
 
 	void test_file_type_failure ()
 	{
 		test::jail_t jail;
-		path::set_content(jail.path("test"), "dummy");
+		path::set_content(jail.path("test.x-unknown"), "dummy");
 
 		stall_t* cb = new stall_t;
 		file::open_callback_ptr sharedPtr((file::open_callback_t*)cb);
-		file::open(jail.path("test"), osx::authorization_t(), sharedPtr);
+		file::open(jail.path("test.x-unknown"), osx::authorization_t(), sharedPtr);
 		cb->wait();
 
 		TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(cb->_error, true);