diff --git a/cmd/micro/micro.go b/cmd/micro/micro.go
index 1e554c51..396c414a 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/micro.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/micro.go
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ func InitFlags() {
 	optionFlags = make(map[string]*string)
 
 	for k, v := range config.DefaultGlobalSettings() {
-		optionFlags[k] = flag.String(k, "", fmt.Sprintf("The %s option. Default value: '%v'", k, v))
+		optionFlags[k] = flag.String(k, "", fmt.Sprintf("The %s option. Default value: '%v'.", k, v))
 	}
+	optionFlags["filetype"] = flag.String("filetype", "", fmt.Sprintf("The filetype option. Autodetected by default."))
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -153,13 +154,15 @@ func main() {
 
 	// flag options
 	for k, v := range optionFlags {
-		if *v != "" {
+		if *v != "" && k != "filetype" {
 			nativeValue, err := config.GetNativeValue(k, config.GlobalSettings[k], *v)
 			if err != nil {
 				screen.TermMessage(err)
 				continue
 			}
 			config.GlobalSettings[k] = nativeValue
+		} else if k == "filetype" && *v != "" {
+			config.GlobalSettings[k] = *v
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -196,6 +199,10 @@ func main() {
 	action.InitTabs(b)
 	action.InitGlobals()
 
+	if _, ok := config.GlobalSettings["filetype"]; ok {
+		delete(config.GlobalSettings, "filetype")
+	}
+
 	// Here is the event loop which runs in a separate thread
 	go func() {
 		events = make(chan tcell.Event)
diff --git a/internal/buffer/buffer.go b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
index 1a7bf301..5e74ac5f 100644
--- a/internal/buffer/buffer.go
+++ b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ func NewBufferFromString(text, path string, btype BufType) *Buffer {
 // NewBuffer creates a new buffer from a given reader with a given path
 // Ensure that ReadSettings and InitGlobalSettings have been called before creating
 // a new buffer
+// Places the cursor at startcursor. If startcursor is -1, -1 places the
+// cursor at an autodetected location (based on savecursor or :LINE:COL)
 func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, startcursor Loc, btype BufType) *Buffer {
 	absPath, _ := filepath.Abs(path)
 
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, startcursor Loc, btype BufT
 			b.Settings[k] = v
 		}
 	}
-	config.InitLocalSettings(b.Settings, b.Path)
+	config.InitLocalSettings(b.Settings, path)
 
 	enc, err := htmlindex.Get(b.Settings["encoding"].(string))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -194,6 +196,12 @@ func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, startcursor Loc, btype BufT
 		b.EventHandler = NewEventHandler(b.SharedBuffer, b.cursors)
 	}
 
+	b.Path = path
+	b.AbsPath = absPath
+
+	// The last time this file was modified
+	b.ModTime, _ = GetModTime(b.Path)
+
 	switch b.Endings {
 	case FFUnix:
 		b.Settings["fileformat"] = "unix"
@@ -201,13 +209,8 @@ func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, startcursor Loc, btype BufT
 		b.Settings["fileformat"] = "dos"
 	}
 
-	b.Path = path
-	b.AbsPath = absPath
-
-	// The last time this file was modified
-	b.ModTime, _ = GetModTime(b.Path)
-
 	b.UpdateRules()
+	config.InitLocalSettings(b.Settings, b.Path)
 
 	if _, err := os.Stat(config.ConfigDir + "/buffers/"); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		os.Mkdir(config.ConfigDir+"/buffers/", os.ModePerm)