diff --git a/lua/diffs/git.lua b/lua/diffs/git.lua
index 7695283..1aa6328 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/git.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/git.lua
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 local M = {}
 
+local repo_root_cache = {}
+
 ---@param filepath string
 ---@return string?
 function M.get_repo_root(filepath)
   local dir = vim.fn.fnamemodify(filepath, ':h')
+  if repo_root_cache[dir] ~= nil then
+    return repo_root_cache[dir]
+  end
   local result = vim.fn.systemlist({ 'git', '-C', dir, 'rev-parse', '--show-toplevel' })
   if vim.v.shell_error ~= 0 then
     return nil
   end
+  repo_root_cache[dir] = result[1]
   return result[1]
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/diffs/highlight.lua b/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
index 306b0e5..6cdfe92 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ local function highlight_vim_syntax(bufnr, ns, hunk, code_lines, covered_lines,
 
   local spans = {}
 
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_call(scratch, function()
+  pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_call, scratch, function()
     vim.cmd('setlocal syntax=' .. ft)
     vim.cmd('redraw')
 
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ local function highlight_vim_syntax(bufnr, ns, hunk, code_lines, covered_lines,
     spans = M.coalesce_syntax_spans(query_fn, code_lines)
   end)
 
-  vim.api.nvim_buf_delete(scratch, { force = true })
+  pcall(vim.api.nvim_buf_delete, scratch, { force = true })
 
   local hunk_line_count = #hunk.lines
   local extmark_count = 0
diff --git a/lua/diffs/init.lua b/lua/diffs/init.lua
index 597beb0..85dc879 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/init.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/init.lua
@@ -203,7 +203,9 @@ local function create_debounced_highlight(bufnr)
           timer = nil
           t:close()
         end
-        highlight_buffer(bufnr)
+        if vim.api.nvim_buf_is_valid(bufnr) then
+          highlight_buffer(bufnr)
+        end
       end)
     )
   end
diff --git a/lua/diffs/lib.lua b/lua/diffs/lib.lua
index 5b3254b..8376925 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/lib.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/lib.lua
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ local cached_handle = nil
 ---@type boolean
 local download_in_progress = false
 
+---@type fun(handle: table?)[]
+local pending_callbacks = {}
+
 ---@return string
 local function get_os()
   local os_name = jit.os:lower()
@@ -164,9 +167,10 @@ function M.ensure(callback)
     return
   end
 
+  table.insert(pending_callbacks, callback)
+
   if download_in_progress then
-    dbg('download already in progress')
-    callback(nil)
+    dbg('download already in progress, queued callback')
     return
   end
 
@@ -192,21 +196,25 @@ function M.ensure(callback)
   vim.system(cmd, {}, function(result)
     download_in_progress = false
     vim.schedule(function()
+      local handle = nil
       if result.code ~= 0 then
         vim.notify('[diffs] failed to download libvscode_diff', vim.log.levels.WARN)
         dbg('curl failed: %s', result.stderr or '')
-        callback(nil)
-        return
+      else
+        local f = io.open(version_path(), 'w')
+        if f then
+          f:write(EXPECTED_VERSION)
+          f:close()
+        end
+        vim.notify('[diffs] libvscode_diff downloaded', vim.log.levels.INFO)
+        handle = M.load()
       end
 
-      local f = io.open(version_path(), 'w')
-      if f then
-        f:write(EXPECTED_VERSION)
-        f:close()
+      local cbs = pending_callbacks
+      pending_callbacks = {}
+      for _, cb in ipairs(cbs) do
+        cb(handle)
       end
-
-      vim.notify('[diffs] libvscode_diff downloaded', vim.log.levels.INFO)
-      callback(M.load())
     end)
   end)
 end