diff --git a/www/common/common-constants.js b/www/common/common-constants.js
index 986e115e2..ac51dfbca 100644
--- a/www/common/common-constants.js
+++ b/www/common/common-constants.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ define(function () {
         fileHashKey: 'FS_hash',
         // sessionStorage
         newPadPathKey: "newPadPath",
+        newPadFileData: "newPadFileData",
         // Store
         displayNameKey: 'cryptpad.username',
         oldStorageKey: 'CryptPad_RECENTPADS',
diff --git a/www/common/common-thumbnail.js b/www/common/common-thumbnail.js
index a6e5d5128..9d52f130b 100644
--- a/www/common/common-thumbnail.js
+++ b/www/common/common-thumbnail.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ define([
     };
 
     var supportedTypes = [
+        'text/plain',
         'image/png',
         'image/jpeg',
         'image/jpg',
@@ -23,7 +24,12 @@ define([
         'application/pdf'
     ];
 
-    Thumb.isSupportedType = function (type) {
+    Thumb.isSupportedType = function (file) {
+        if (!file) { return false; }
+        var type = file.type;
+        if (Util.isPlainTextFile(file.type, file.name)) {
+            type = "text/plain";
+        }
         return supportedTypes.some(function (t) {
             return type.indexOf(t) !== -1;
         });
@@ -164,6 +170,26 @@ define([
             });
         });
     };
+    Thumb.fromPlainTextBlob = function (blob, cb) {
+        var canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
+        canvas.width = canvas.height = Thumb.dimension;
+        var reader = new FileReader();
+        reader.addEventListener('loadend', function (e) {
+            var content = e.srcElement.result;
+            var lines = content.split("\n");
+            var canvasContext = canvas.getContext("2d");
+            var fontSize = 4;
+            canvas.height = (lines.length) * (fontSize + 1);
+            canvasContext.font = fontSize + 'px monospace';
+            lines.forEach(function (text, i) {
+
+                canvasContext.fillText(text, 5, i * (fontSize + 1));
+            });
+            var D = getResizedDimensions(canvas, "txt");
+            Thumb.fromCanvas(canvas, D, cb);
+        });
+        reader.readAsText(blob);
+    };
     Thumb.fromBlob = function (blob, cb) {
         if (blob.type.indexOf('video/') !== -1) {
             return void Thumb.fromVideoBlob(blob, cb);
@@ -171,6 +197,9 @@ define([
         if (blob.type.indexOf('application/pdf') !== -1) {
             return void Thumb.fromPdfBlob(blob, cb);
         }
+        if (Util.isPlainTextFile(blob.type, blob.name)) {
+            return void Thumb.fromPlainTextBlob(blob, cb);
+        }
         Thumb.fromImageBlob(blob, cb);
     };
 
diff --git a/www/common/common-ui-elements.js b/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
index 9aa313779..f3f2f5e6c 100644
--- a/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
+++ b/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
@@ -2301,7 +2301,10 @@ define([
         if (!common.isLoggedIn()) { return void cb(); }
         var sframeChan = common.getSframeChannel();
         var metadataMgr = common.getMetadataMgr();
+        var privateData = metadataMgr.getPrivateData();
         var type = metadataMgr.getMetadataLazy().type;
+        var fromFileData = privateData.fromFileData;
+
 
         var $body = $('body');
         var $creationContainer = $('<div>', { id: 'cp-creation-container' }).appendTo($body);
@@ -2313,7 +2316,8 @@ define([
         // Title
         //var colorClass = 'cp-icon-color-'+type;
         //$creation.append(h('h2.cp-creation-title', Messages.newButtonTitle));
-        $creation.append(h('h3.cp-creation-title', Messages['button_new'+type]));
+        var newPadH3Title = Messages['button_new' + type];
+        $creation.append(h('h3.cp-creation-title', newPadH3Title));
         //$creation.append(h('h2.cp-creation-title.'+colorClass, Messages.newButtonTitle));
 
         // Deleted pad warning
@@ -2323,7 +2327,7 @@ define([
             ));
         }
 
-        var origin = common.getMetadataMgr().getPrivateData().origin;
+        var origin = privateData.origin;
         var createHelper = function (href, text) {
             var q = h('a.cp-creation-help.fa.fa-question-circle', {
                 title: text,
@@ -2480,7 +2484,26 @@ define([
                 });
                 if (i < TEMPLATES_DISPLAYED) { $(left).addClass('hidden'); }
             };
-            redraw(0);
+            if (fromFileData) {
+                var todo = function (thumbnail) {
+                    allData = [{
+                        name: fromFileData.title,
+                        id: 0,
+                        thumbnail: thumbnail,
+                        icon: h('span.cptools.cptools-file'),
+                    }];
+                    redraw(0);
+                };
+                todo();
+                sframeChan.query("Q_GET_FILE_THUMBNAIL", null, function (err, res) {
+                    if (err || (res && res.error)) { return; }
+                    todo(res.data);
+                });
+            }
+            else {
+                redraw(0);
+            }
+
 
             // Change template selection when Tab is pressed
             next = function (revert) {
diff --git a/www/common/common-util.js b/www/common/common-util.js
index 03c9e321b..262de76e9 100644
--- a/www/common/common-util.js
+++ b/www/common/common-util.js
@@ -325,6 +325,30 @@ define([], function () {
         return div.innerText;
     };
 
+    // return an object containing {name, ext}
+    // or {} if the name could not be parsed
+    Util.parseFilename = function (filename) {
+        if (!filename || !filename.trim()) { return {}; }
+        var parsedName =  /^(\.?.+?)(\.[^.]+)?$/.exec(filename) || [];
+        return {
+            name: parsedName[1],
+            ext: parsedName[2],
+        };
+    };
+
+    // Tell if a file is plain text from its metadata={title, fileType}
+    Util.isPlainTextFile = function (type, name) {
+        // does its type begins with "text/"
+        if (type && type.indexOf("text/") === 0) { return true; }
+        // no type and no file extension -> let's guess it's plain text
+        var parsedName = Util.parseFilename(name);
+        if (!type && name && !parsedName.ext) { return true; }
+        // other exceptions
+        if (type === 'application/x-javascript') { return true; }
+        if (type === 'application/xml') { return true; }
+        return false;
+    };
+
     return Util;
 });
 }(self));
diff --git a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
index a22f4d57e..a2a2fe7a9 100644
--- a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
+++ b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
@@ -571,6 +571,66 @@ define([
         });
     };
 
+    common.useFile = function (Crypt, cb, optsPut) {
+        var data = common.fromFileData;
+        var parsed = Hash.parsePadUrl(data.href);
+        var parsed2 = Hash.parsePadUrl(window.location.href);
+        var hash = parsed.hash;
+        var name = data.title;
+        var secret = Hash.getSecrets('file', hash, data.password);
+        var src = Hash.getBlobPathFromHex(secret.channel);
+        var key = secret.keys && secret.keys.cryptKey;
+
+        var u8;
+        var res;
+        var mode;
+        var val;
+        Nthen(function(waitFor) {
+            Util.fetch(src, waitFor(function (err, _u8) {
+                if (err) { return void waitFor.abort(); }
+                u8 = _u8;
+            }));
+        }).nThen(function (waitFor) {
+            require(["/file/file-crypto.js"], waitFor(function (FileCrypto) {
+                FileCrypto.decrypt(u8, key, waitFor(function (err, _res) {
+                    if (err || !_res.content) { return void waitFor.abort(); }
+                    res = _res;
+                }));
+            }));
+        }).nThen(function (waitFor) {
+            var ext = Util.parseFilename(data.title).ext;
+            if (!ext) {
+                mode = "text";
+                return;
+            }
+            require(["/common/modes.js"], waitFor(function (Modes) {
+                Modes.list.some(function (fType) {
+                    if (fType.ext === ext) {
+                        mode = fType.mode;
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                });
+            }));
+        }).nThen(function (waitFor) {
+            var reader = new FileReader();
+            reader.addEventListener('loadend', waitFor(function (e) {
+                val = {
+                    content: e.srcElement.result,
+                    highlightMode: mode,
+                    metadata: {
+                        defaultTitle: name,
+                        title: name,
+                        type: "code",
+                    },
+                };
+            }));
+            reader.readAsText(res.content);
+        }).nThen(function () {
+            Crypt.put(parsed2.hash, JSON.stringify(val), cb, optsPut);
+        });
+
+    };
+
     // Forget button
     common.moveToTrash = function (cb, href) {
         href = href || window.location.href;
@@ -1274,6 +1334,12 @@ define([
                 messenger: rdyCfg.messenger, // Boolean
                 driveEvents: rdyCfg.driveEvents // Boolean
             };
+            // if a pad is created from a file
+            if (sessionStorage[Constants.newPadFileData]) {
+                common.fromFileData = JSON.parse(sessionStorage[Constants.newPadFileData]);
+                delete sessionStorage[Constants.newPadFileData];
+            }
+
             if (sessionStorage[Constants.newPadPathKey]) {
                 common.initialPath = sessionStorage[Constants.newPadPathKey];
                 delete sessionStorage[Constants.newPadPathKey];
diff --git a/www/common/sframe-common-file.js b/www/common/sframe-common-file.js
index 32f031010..e2e2cd46c 100644
--- a/www/common/sframe-common-file.js
+++ b/www/common/sframe-common-file.js
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ define([
             blobToArrayBuffer(file, function (e, buffer) {
                 if (e) { console.error(e); }
                 file_arraybuffer = buffer;
-                if (!Thumb.isSupportedType(file.type)) { return getName(); }
+                if (!Thumb.isSupportedType(file)) { return getName(); }
                 // make a resized thumbnail from the image..
                 Thumb.fromBlob(file, function (e, thumb64) {
                     if (e) { console.error(e); }
diff --git a/www/common/sframe-common-outer.js b/www/common/sframe-common-outer.js
index 104bdaa12..ba778a331 100644
--- a/www/common/sframe-common-outer.js
+++ b/www/common/sframe-common-outer.js
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ define([
                         channel: secret.channel,
                         enableSF: localStorage.CryptPad_SF === "1", // TODO to remove when enabled by default
                         devMode: localStorage.CryptPad_dev === "1",
+                        fromFileData: Cryptpad.fromFileData ? {
+                            title: Cryptpad.fromFileData.title
+                        } : undefined,
                     };
                     if (window.CryptPad_newSharedFolder) {
                         additionalPriv.newSharedFolder = window.CryptPad_newSharedFolder;
@@ -359,6 +362,8 @@ define([
                 sframeChan.event("EV_NEW_VERSION");
             });
 
+
+
             // Put in the following function the RPC queries that should also work in filepicker
             var addCommonRpc = function (sframeChan) {
                 sframeChan.on('Q_ANON_RPC_MESSAGE', function (data, cb) {
@@ -811,6 +816,22 @@ define([
                 });
             });
 
+            sframeChan.on('Q_GET_FILE_THUMBNAIL', function (data, cb) {
+                if (!Cryptpad.fromFileData || !Cryptpad.fromFileData.href) {
+                    return void cb({
+                        error: "EINVAL",
+                    });
+                }
+                var key = getKey(Cryptpad.fromFileData.href, Cryptpad.fromFileData.channel);
+                Utils.LocalStore.getThumbnail(key, function (e, data) {
+                    if (data === "EMPTY") { data = null; }
+                    cb({
+                        error: e,
+                        data: data
+                    });
+                });
+            });
+
             sframeChan.on('EV_GOTO_URL', function (url) {
                 if (url) {
                     window.location.href = url;
@@ -1097,11 +1118,11 @@ define([
                         }));
                     }
                 }).nThen(function () {
+                    var cryptputCfg = $.extend(true, {}, rtConfig, {password: password});
                     if (data.template) {
                         // Pass rtConfig to useTemplate because Cryptput will create the file and
                         // we need to have the owners and expiration time in the first line on the
                         // server
-                        var cryptputCfg = $.extend(true, {}, rtConfig, {password: password});
                         Cryptpad.useTemplate({
                             href: data.template
                         }, Cryptget, function () {
@@ -1110,6 +1131,14 @@ define([
                         }, cryptputCfg);
                         return;
                     }
+                    // if we open a new code from a file
+                    if (Cryptpad.fromFileData) {
+                        Cryptpad.useFile(Cryptget, function () {
+                            startRealtime();
+                            cb();
+                        }, cryptputCfg);
+                        return;
+                    }
                     // Start realtime outside the iframe and callback
                     startRealtime(rtConfig);
                     cb();
diff --git a/www/drive/inner.js b/www/drive/inner.js
index 4292e5a7f..bdf74112a 100644
--- a/www/drive/inner.js
+++ b/www/drive/inner.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ define([
     var faCollapseAll = 'fa-minus-square-o';
     var faShared = 'fa-shhare-alt';
     var faReadOnly = 'fa-eye';
+    var faOpenInCode = 'cptools-code';
     var faRename = 'fa-pencil';
     var faColor = 'cptools-palette';
     var faTrash = 'fa-trash';
@@ -343,6 +344,10 @@ define([
                     'tabindex': '-1',
                     'data-icon': faReadOnly,
                 }, Messages.fc_open_ro)),
+                h('li', h('a.cp-app-drive-context-openincode.dropdown-item', {
+                    'tabindex': '-1',
+                    'data-icon': faOpenInCode,
+                }, Messages.fc_openInCode)),
                 $separator.clone()[0],
                 h('li', h('a.cp-app-drive-context-expandall.dropdown-item', {
                     'tabindex': '-1',
@@ -1095,6 +1100,10 @@ define([
                         // We can only open parent in virtual categories
                         hide.push('openparent');
                     }
+                    if (!$element.is('.cp-border-color-file')) {
+                        //hide.push('download');
+                        hide.push('openincode');
+                    }
                     if ($element.is('.cp-app-drive-element-file')) {
                         // No folder in files
                         hide.push('color');
@@ -1104,6 +1113,11 @@ define([
                         } else if ($element.is('.cp-app-drive-element-noreadonly')) {
                             hide.push('openro'); // Remove open 'view' mode
                         }
+                        // if it's not a plain text file
+                        var metadata = manager.getFileData(manager.find(path));
+                        if (!metadata || !Util.isPlainTextFile(metadata.fileType, metadata.title)) {
+                            hide.push('openincode');
+                        }
                     } else if ($element.is('.cp-app-drive-element-sharedf')) {
                         if (containsFolder) {
                             // More than 1 folder selected: cannot create a new subfolder
@@ -1113,6 +1127,7 @@ define([
                         }
                         containsFolder = true;
                         hide.push('openro');
+                        hide.push('openincode');
                         hide.push('hashtag');
                         hide.push('delete');
                         //hide.push('deleteowned');
@@ -1125,6 +1140,7 @@ define([
                         }
                         containsFolder = true;
                         hide.push('openro');
+                        hide.push('openincode');
                         hide.push('properties');
                         hide.push('share');
                         hide.push('hashtag');
@@ -1159,6 +1175,7 @@ define([
                     hide.push('hashtag');
                     hide.push('download');
                     hide.push('share');
+                    hide.push('openincode'); // can't because of race condition
                 }
                 if (containsFolder && paths.length > 1) {
                     // Cannot open multiple folders
@@ -1175,7 +1192,7 @@ define([
                     show = ['newfolder', 'newsharedfolder', 'newdoc'];
                     break;
                 case 'tree':
-                    show = ['open', 'openro', 'expandall', 'collapseall', 'color', 'download', 'share', 'rename', 'delete', 'deleteowned', 'removesf', 'properties', 'hashtag'];
+                    show = ['open', 'openro', 'openincode', 'expandall', 'collapseall', 'color', 'download', 'share', 'rename', 'delete', 'deleteowned', 'removesf', 'properties', 'hashtag'];
                     break;
                 case 'default':
                     show = ['open', 'openro', 'share', 'openparent', 'delete', 'deleteowned', 'properties', 'hashtag'];
@@ -3677,6 +3694,25 @@ define([
                     openFile(null, href);
                 });
             }
+            else if ($this.hasClass('cp-app-drive-context-openincode')) {
+                if (paths.length !== 1) { return; }
+                var p = paths[0];
+                el = manager.find(p.path);
+                var metadata = manager.getFileData(el);
+                var simpleData = {
+                    title: metadata.filename || metadata.title,
+                    href: metadata.href,
+                    password: metadata.password,
+                    channel: metadata.channel,
+                };
+                nThen(function (waitFor) {
+                    common.sessionStorage.put(Constants.newPadFileData, JSON.stringify(simpleData), waitFor());
+                    common.sessionStorage.put(Constants.newPadPathKey, currentPath, waitFor());
+                }).nThen(function () {
+                    common.openURL('/code/');
+                });
+            }
+
             else if ($this.hasClass('cp-app-drive-context-expandall') ||
                      $this.hasClass('cp-app-drive-context-collapseall')) {
                 if (paths.length !== 1) { return; }