diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 9f4949a..91e3cdd 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ restore_last_cursor_position: bool = true,
 follow_cursor_on_buffer_switch: bool = false, //scroll cursor into view on buffer switch
 default_cursor: []const u8 = "default",
 enable_auto_save: bool = false,
-auto_save_file_types: []const []const u8 = &.{},
+limit_auto_save_file_types: ?[]const []const u8 = null, // null means *all*
 
 indent_size: usize = 4,
 tab_width: usize = 8,
diff --git a/src/tui/editor.zig b/src/tui/editor.zig
index ea5c1ae..c4bd75b 100644
--- a/src/tui/editor.zig
+++ b/src/tui/editor.zig
@@ -353,6 +353,8 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
     enable_auto_save: bool,
     enable_format_on_save: bool,
 
+    restored_state: bool = false,
+
     need_save_after_filter: ?struct {
         then: ?struct {
             cmd: []const u8,
@@ -396,6 +398,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
     pub fn extract_state(self: *Self, buf: []const u8, comptime op: enum { none, open_file }) !void {
         tp.trace(tp.channel.debug, .{ "extract_state", self.file_path });
         tp.trace(tp.channel.debug, tp.message{ .buf = buf });
+        self.restored_state = true;
         var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
         var view_cbor: []const u8 = undefined;
         var cursels_cbor: []const u8 = undefined;
@@ -599,6 +602,8 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
                     file_type_config.guess_file_type(self.file_path, content.items);
             };
 
+            self.maybe_enable_auto_save();
+
             const syn = blk: {
                 const frame_ = tracy.initZone(@src(), .{ .name = "create" });
                 defer frame_.deinit();
@@ -642,6 +647,22 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
         try self.send_editor_open(file_path, new_buf.file_exists, ftn, fti, ftc);
     }
 
+    fn maybe_enable_auto_save(self: *Self) void {
+        if (self.restored_state) return;
+        self.enable_auto_save = false;
+        if (!tui.config().enable_auto_save) return;
+        const self_file_type = self.file_type orelse return;
+
+        enable: {
+            const file_types = tui.config().limit_auto_save_file_types orelse break :enable;
+            for (file_types) |file_type|
+                if (std.mem.eql(u8, file_type, self_file_type.name))
+                    break :enable;
+            return;
+        }
+        self.enable_auto_save = true;
+    }
+
     fn close(self: *Self) !void {
         var meta = std.ArrayListUnmanaged(u8).empty;
         defer meta.deinit(self.allocator);