diff --git a/src/Project.zig b/src/Project.zig
index 9ba122d..12b1d60 100644
--- a/src/Project.zig
+++ b/src/Project.zig
@@ -2570,7 +2570,6 @@ pub fn request_vcs_content(self: *Self, file_path: []const u8, vcs_id: []const u
         .file_path = try self.allocator.dupe(u8, file_path),
         .vcs_id = try self.allocator.dupe(u8, vcs_id),
     };
-    self.logger_git.print("cat-file request {}:{s}:{s}", .{ request, vcs_id, file_path });
     git.cat_file(@intFromPtr(request), vcs_id) catch |e|
         self.logger_git.print_err("cat-file", "failed: {t}", .{e});
 }
diff --git a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
index 6a2a5de..9bc1fc8 100644
--- a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
+++ b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ auto_save: bool = false,
 meta: ?[]const u8 = null,
 lsp_version: usize = 1,
 vcs_id: ?[]const u8 = null,
-vcs_content: ?[]const u8 = null,
+vcs_content: ?ArrayList(u8) = null,
 
 undo_head: ?*UndoNode = null,
 redo_head: ?*UndoNode = null,
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ pub fn create(allocator: Allocator) error{OutOfMemory}!*Self {
 }
 
 pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
-    if (self.vcs_content) |buf| self.external_allocator.free(buf);
+    self.clear_vcs_content();
     if (self.vcs_id) |buf| self.external_allocator.free(buf);
     if (self.meta) |buf| self.external_allocator.free(buf);
     if (self.file_buf) |buf| self.external_allocator.free(buf);
@@ -1225,6 +1225,42 @@ pub inline fn get_file_path(self: *const Self) []const u8 {
     return self.file_path_buf.items;
 }
 
+pub fn set_vcs_id(self: *Self, vcs_id: []const u8) error{OutOfMemory}!bool {
+    if (self.vcs_id) |old_id| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, old_id, vcs_id)) return false;
+        self.external_allocator.free(old_id);
+    }
+    self.clear_vcs_content();
+    self.vcs_id = try self.external_allocator.dupe(u8, vcs_id);
+    return true;
+}
+
+pub fn get_vcs_id(self: *Self) ?[]const u8 {
+    return self.vcs_id;
+}
+
+pub fn set_vcs_content(self: *Self, vcs_id: []const u8, vcs_content: []const u8) error{OutOfMemory}!void {
+    _ = try self.set_vcs_id(vcs_id);
+    if (self.vcs_content) |*al| {
+        try al.appendSlice(self.external_allocator, vcs_content);
+    } else {
+        var al: ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+        try al.appendSlice(self.external_allocator, vcs_content);
+        self.vcs_content = al;
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn clear_vcs_content(self: *Self) void {
+    if (self.vcs_content) |*buf| {
+        buf.deinit(self.external_allocator);
+        self.vcs_content = null;
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn get_vcs_content(self: *Self) ?[]const u8 {
+    return if (self.vcs_content) |*buf| buf.items else null;
+}
+
 pub fn update_last_used_time(self: *Self) void {
     self.utime = std.time.milliTimestamp();
 }
@@ -1638,6 +1674,7 @@ pub fn write_state(self: *const Self, writer: *std.Io.Writer) error{ Stop, OutOf
         dirty,
         self.meta,
         self.file_type_name,
+        self.vcs_id,
         content.written(),
     });
 }
@@ -1649,6 +1686,7 @@ pub fn extract_state(self: *Self, iter: *[]const u8) !void {
     var file_type_name: []const u8 = undefined;
     var dirty: bool = undefined;
     var meta: ?[]const u8 = null;
+    var vcs_id: ?[]const u8 = null;
     var content: []const u8 = undefined;
 
     if (!try cbor.matchValue(iter, .{
@@ -1661,6 +1699,7 @@ pub fn extract_state(self: *Self, iter: *[]const u8) !void {
         cbor.extract(&dirty),
         cbor.extract(&meta),
         cbor.extract(&file_type_name),
+        cbor.extract(&vcs_id),
         cbor.extract(&content),
     }))
         return error.Stop;
diff --git a/src/tui/mainview.zig b/src/tui/mainview.zig
index f21f4a9..947839a 100644
--- a/src/tui/mainview.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mainview.zig
@@ -1943,3 +1943,27 @@ pub fn cancel_info_content(self: *Self) tp.result {
     _ = self.toggle_panel_view(info_view, .disable) catch |e| return tp.exit_error(e, @errorReturnTrace());
     tui.need_render();
 }
+
+pub fn vcs_id_update(self: *Self, m: tp.message) void {
+    var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
+    var vcs_id: []const u8 = undefined;
+
+    if (m.match(.{ "PRJ", "vcs_id", tp.extract(&file_path), tp.extract(&vcs_id) }) catch return) {
+        const buffer = self.buffer_manager.get_buffer_for_file(file_path) orelse return;
+        const need_vcs_content = buffer.set_vcs_id(vcs_id) catch false;
+        if (need_vcs_content)
+            project_manager.request_vcs_content(file_path, vcs_id) catch {};
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn vcs_content_update(self: *Self, m: tp.message) void {
+    var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
+    var vcs_id: []const u8 = undefined;
+    var content: []const u8 = undefined;
+
+    if (m.match(.{ "PRJ", "vcs_content", tp.extract(&file_path), tp.extract(&vcs_id), tp.extract(&content) }) catch return) {
+        const buffer = self.buffer_manager.get_buffer_for_file(file_path) orelse return;
+        buffer.set_vcs_content(vcs_id, content) catch {};
+        std.log.debug("vcs_content: {d} bytes of {d} id:{s}", .{ content.len, (buffer.get_vcs_content() orelse &.{}).len, vcs_id });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 44a32a7..6a90cb8 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -527,6 +527,12 @@ fn receive_safe(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, m: tp.message) !void {
     if (try m.match(.{ "PRJ", "recent_projects", tp.more })) // async recent projects request
         return self.enter_overlay_mode_with_args(@import("mode/overlay/open_recent_project.zig").Type, .{ .args = m });
 
+    if (try m.match(.{ "PRJ", "vcs_id", tp.more }))
+        return if (mainview()) |mv| mv.vcs_id_update(m);
+
+    if (try m.match(.{ "PRJ", "vcs_content", tp.more }))
+        return if (mainview()) |mv| mv.vcs_content_update(m);
+
     if (try m.match(.{ "PRJ", tp.more })) // drop late project manager query responses
         return;