diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 8626aa3b..a8fd15d0 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::{
 	accessors,
-	args::CliArgs,
+	args::{resolve_select_file_path, CliArgs},
 	cmdbar::CommandBar,
 	components::{
 		command_pump, event_pump, CommandInfo, Component,
@@ -178,14 +178,13 @@ impl App {
 
 		let mut select_file: Option<PathBuf> = None;
 		let tab = if let Some(file) = cliargs.select_file {
-			// convert to relative git path
-			if let Ok(abs) = file.canonicalize() {
-				if let Ok(path) = abs.strip_prefix(
-					env.repo.borrow().gitpath().canonicalize()?,
-				) {
-					select_file = Some(Path::new(".").join(path));
-				}
-			}
+			let workdir =
+				PathBuf::from(repo_work_dir(&env.repo.borrow())?);
+			select_file = resolve_select_file_path(
+				&file,
+				&workdir,
+				&std::env::current_dir()?,
+			);
 			2
 		} else {
 			env.options.borrow().current_tab()
diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index 22c6cc8d..54f3ba12 100644
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use simplelog::{Config, LevelFilter, WriteLogger};
 use std::{
 	env,
 	fs::{self, File},
-	path::PathBuf,
+	path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
 
 const BUG_REPORT_FLAG_ID: &str = "bugreport";
@@ -238,6 +238,73 @@ pub fn get_app_config_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
 	Ok(path)
 }
 
+/// Resolves `--file` to a path relative to the repository workdir.
+pub(crate) fn resolve_select_file_path(
+	file: &Path,
+	repo_workdir: &Path,
+	cwd: &Path,
+) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+	let repo_workdir = repo_workdir.canonicalize().ok()?;
+	let absolute = if file.is_absolute() {
+		file.to_path_buf()
+	} else {
+		cwd.join(file)
+	};
+	let absolute = absolute.canonicalize().ok()?;
+
+	absolute
+		.strip_prefix(&repo_workdir)
+		.ok()
+		.map(Path::to_path_buf)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod select_file_tests {
+	use super::*;
+	use std::fs;
+	use tempfile::tempdir;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn resolve_select_file_from_subdirectory() {
+		let repo = tempdir().unwrap();
+		let frontend = repo.path().join("frontend");
+		fs::create_dir_all(frontend.join("src")).unwrap();
+		fs::write(frontend.join("src/index.html"), "hi").unwrap();
+
+		let cwd = frontend.clone();
+		let file = Path::new("src/index.html");
+		let resolved = resolve_select_file_path(
+			file,
+			repo.path(),
+			&cwd,
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+
+		assert_eq!(resolved, Path::new("frontend/src/index.html"));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn resolve_select_file_from_repo_root() {
+		let repo = tempdir().unwrap();
+		fs::create_dir_all(repo.path().join("frontend/src")).unwrap();
+		fs::write(
+			repo.path().join("frontend/src/index.html"),
+			"hi",
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+
+		let file = Path::new("frontend/src/index.html");
+		let resolved = resolve_select_file_path(
+			file,
+			repo.path(),
+			repo.path(),
+		)
+		.unwrap();
+
+		assert_eq!(resolved, file);
+	}
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn verify_app() {
 	app().debug_assert();