diff --git a/Buffer.cc b/Buffer.cc
index 879a935..8c8a8a0 100644
--- a/Buffer.cc
+++ b/Buffer.cc
@@ -170,19 +170,20 @@ write_in_place(const std::string &path, const char *data, std::size_t len, std::
 }
 
 
-// Create `path` (which must not exist) with the content, fsynced.
+// Create a new file named from `tmpl` (a mkstemp template, which receives
+// the chosen name) holding the content, fsynced.
 static bool
-write_new_file(const std::string &path, const char *data, std::size_t len, std::string &err)
+write_new_file(std::string &tmpl, const char *data, std::size_t len, std::string &err)
 {
-	int flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL;
-#ifdef O_CLOEXEC
-	flags |= O_CLOEXEC;
-#endif
-	const int fd = kte::syscall::Open(path.c_str(), flags, 0600);
+	std::vector<char> name(tmpl.begin(), tmpl.end());
+	name.push_back('\0');
+	const int fd = kte::syscall::Mkstemp(name.data());
 	if (fd < 0) {
-		err = "Failed to create " + path + ": " + std::strerror(errno);
+		err = "Failed to create " + tmpl + ": " + std::strerror(errno);
 		return false;
 	}
+	tmpl.assign(name.data());
+	const std::string &path = tmpl;
 	bool ok = write_all_fd(fd, data, len, err);
 	if (ok && kte::syscall::Fsync(fd) != 0) {
 		err = std::string("fsync failed: ") + std::strerror(errno);
@@ -220,15 +221,19 @@ atomic_write_file(const std::string &path_in, const char *data, std::size_t len,
 	// names would keep the old content.
 	if (dst_exists && S_ISREG(dst_st.st_mode) && dst_st.st_nlink > 1) {
 		// Truncating in place risks the only copy if the write then fails
-		// (ENOSPC, EIO, crash), so first write and sync a copy beside it.
-		const std::string copy = path + ".kte-save";
-		if (!write_new_file(copy, data, len, err))
-			return false;
+		// (ENOSPC, EIO, crash), so first write and sync a copy beside it. If
+		// no copy can be made (directory not writable, name too long), write
+		// in place anyway rather than refuse to save.
+		std::string copy = path + ".kte-save.XXXXXX";
+		std::string copy_err;
+		const bool have_copy = write_new_file(copy, data, len, copy_err);
 		if (!write_in_place(path, data, len, err)) {
-			err += " (the new content is in " + copy + ")";
+			if (have_copy)
+				err += " (the new content is in " + copy + ")";
 			return false;
 		}
-		(void) ::unlink(copy.c_str());
+		if (have_copy)
+			(void) ::unlink(copy.c_str());
 		best_effort_fsync_dir(path);
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -255,8 +260,16 @@ atomic_write_file(const std::string &path_in, const char *data, std::size_t len,
 	};
 
 	if (!kte::RetryOnTransientError(mkstemp_fn, kte::RetryPolicy::Aggressive(), err)) {
+		const int saved_errno = errno;
+		// No temp file in the directory (e.g. the file is writable but its
+		// directory is not): an existing regular file can still be written in
+		// place, as editors traditionally do.
+		if (fd < 0 && dst_exists && S_ISREG(dst_st.st_mode)) {
+			err.clear();
+			return write_in_place(path, data, len, err);
+		}
 		if (fd < 0) {
-			err = std::string("Failed to create temp file for save: ") + std::strerror(errno) + err;
+			err = std::string("Failed to create temp file for save: ") + std::strerror(saved_errno) + err;
 		}
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -618,9 +631,20 @@ Buffer::OpenFromFile(const std::string &path, std::string &err)
 		return false;
 	}
 	(void) kte::syscall::Close(fd);
-	content_.Clear();
-	if (!data.empty())
-		content_.Append(data.data(), data.size());
+	// Build the new content aside and swap it in only once complete: if the
+	// copy runs out of memory, the buffer keeps its old text (clearing first
+	// left an empty buffer that a later save wrote over the file).
+	PieceTable fresh;
+	try {
+		if (!data.empty())
+			fresh.Append(data.data(), data.size());
+		std::string().swap(data);
+	} catch (const std::bad_alloc &) {
+		err = "File too large to load: " + norm;
+		kte::ErrorHandler::Instance().Error("Buffer", err, norm);
+		return false;
+	}
+	content_ = std::move(fresh);
 	rows_cache_dirty_ = true;
 	nrows_            = 0; // not used under PieceTable
 	filename_         = norm;
diff --git a/Editor.cc b/Editor.cc
index 82e64c4..686b5b0 100644
--- a/Editor.cc
+++ b/Editor.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "Editor.h"
+#include "ErrorHandler.h"
 #include "syntax/HighlighterRegistry.h"
 #include "syntax/CppHighlighter.h"
 #include "syntax/NullHighlighter.h"
@@ -487,6 +488,24 @@ Editor::ResolveRecoveryPrompt(const bool yes)
 
 bool
 Editor::ProcessPendingOpens()
+{
+	// Opening can throw (bad_alloc on a huge file, filesystem errors). This
+	// runs from every frontend's loop, outside command dispatch: report the
+	// failure instead of letting it end the editor.
+	try {
+		return process_pending_opens_();
+	} catch (const std::exception &e) {
+		kte::ErrorHandler::Instance().Error("Editor", std::string("open failed: ") + e.what(), "");
+		SetStatus(std::string("Open failed: ") + e.what());
+	} catch (...) {
+		SetStatus("Open failed");
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+
+bool
+Editor::process_pending_opens_()
 {
 	if (PromptActive())
 		return false;
diff --git a/Editor.h b/Editor.h
index 3979039..86767ba 100644
--- a/Editor.h
+++ b/Editor.h
@@ -568,6 +568,11 @@ public:
 	// Returns true if a file was opened during this call.
 	bool ProcessPendingOpens();
 
+private:
+	bool process_pending_opens_();
+
+public:
+
 	[[nodiscard]] bool HasPendingOpens() const;
 
 	// Swap recovery confirmation state. When non-None, a `PromptKind::Confirm`
diff --git a/TerminalFrontend.cc b/TerminalFrontend.cc
index 1e8439e..d3ea354 100644
--- a/TerminalFrontend.cc
+++ b/TerminalFrontend.cc
@@ -135,7 +135,11 @@ TerminalFrontend::Step(Editor &ed, bool &running)
 	// busy on large or long-line files while idle.
 	const auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 	if (changed || now - last_draw_ >= std::chrono::milliseconds(1000)) {
-		renderer_.Draw(ed);
+		try {
+			renderer_.Draw(ed);
+		} catch (const std::exception &e) {
+			ed.SetStatus(std::string("Display error: ") + e.what());
+		}
 		last_draw_   = now;
 		first_frame_ = false;
 	}
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.cc b/tests/test_audit_regressions.cc
index 52feaff..b1d93e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.cc
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.cc
@@ -1110,3 +1110,19 @@ TEST(Audit_VisualLine_StaysInsideBuffer)
 		(void) h.Undo();
 	ASSERT_EQ(h.Text(), orig);
 }
+
+
+// A leftover copy from an interrupted hard-link save does not block saving.
+TEST(Audit_Save_HardLink_LeftoverCopyDoesNotBlock)
+{
+	TempDir d("save_leftover");
+	std::ofstream(d.path / "h.txt") << "old\n";
+	std::filesystem::create_hard_link(d.path / "h.txt", d.path / "h2.txt");
+	std::ofstream(d.path / "h.txt.kte-save") << "stale\n";
+	Buffer b;
+	std::string err;
+	ASSERT_TRUE(b.OpenFromFile((d.path / "h.txt").string(), err));
+	b.insert_text(0, 0, "new ");
+	ASSERT_TRUE(b.Save(err));
+	ASSERT_EQ(slurp(d.path / "h2.txt"), std::string("new old\n"));
+}