diff --git a/buffer/__init__.py b/buffer/__init__.py
index b7bc53a..3aa3e2b 100644
--- a/buffer/__init__.py
+++ b/buffer/__init__.py
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ def hasher(data):
         m = md5.new(data)
     return m
 
-class ReadOnlyError(Exception):
-    pass
+class ReadOnlyError(Exception): pass
+class FileChangedError(Exception): pass
+class FileGoneError(Exception): pass
 
 # used for undo/redo stacks when text will need to be added back
 class AddMove(object):
@@ -79,8 +80,6 @@ class Buffer(object):
         win_c  = len(self.win_re.findall(data))
         if (unix_c and mac_c) or (unix_c and win_c) or (mac_c and win_c):
             # warn the user?
-            #raise Exception, 'inconsistent line endings %r' % \
-            #    (data, [unix_c, mac_c, win_c])
             pass
 
         if unix_c >= win_c and unix_c >= mac_c:
@@ -94,19 +93,19 @@ class Buffer(object):
     def _open_file_r(self, path):
         path = os.path.realpath(path)
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' does not exist" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' does not exist" % (path))
         if not os.access(path, os.R_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' cannot be read" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' cannot be read" % (path))
         f = open(path, 'r')
         return f
     def _open_file_w(self, path):
         if os.path.isfile(path):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' already exists" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' already exists" % (path))
         d = os.path.dirname(path)
         if not os.access(d, os.R_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Dir '%s' cannot be read" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Dir '%s' cannot be read" % (path))
         if not os.access(d, os.W_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Dir '%s' cannot be written" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Dir '%s' cannot be written" % (path))
         f = open(path, 'w')
         return f
     def _temp_path(self, path):
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
             self.undo_stack.append(move)
             self._stack_trim(self.undo_stack)
         else:
-            raise Exception, "Invalid act: %d" % (act)
+            raise Exception("Invalid act: %d" % (act))
     def undo(self):
         if len(self.undo_stack):
             undo_id = self.undo_stack[-1].undo_id
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
                 pos = move.getpos()
             return pos
         else:
-            raise Exception, "Nothing to Undo!"
+            raise Exception("Nothing to Undo!")
     def redo(self):
         if len(self.redo_stack):
             undo_id = self.redo_stack[-1].undo_id
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
                 pos = move.getpos()
             return pos
         else:
-            raise Exception, "Nothing to Redo!"
+            raise Exception("Nothing to Redo!")
 
     # window-buffer communication
     def add_window(self, w):
@@ -237,7 +236,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
     def changed_on_disk(self):
         return False
     def reload(self):
-        raise Exception, "%s reload: Unimplemented" % (self.name())
+        raise Exception("%s reload: Unimplemented" % (self.name()))
     def save_as(self, path, force=False):
         # check to see if the path exists, and if we're prepared to overwrite it
         # if yes to both, get its mode so we can preserve the path's permissions
@@ -246,7 +245,8 @@ class Buffer(object):
             if force:
                 mode = os.stat(self.path)[0]
             else:
-                raise Exception, "oh no! %r already exists" % path
+                # XYZ
+                raise Exception("oh no! %r already exists" % path)
 
         # create the string that we're going to write into the file
         data = self.write_filter(self.make_string())
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class Buffer(object):
     # buffer set
     def set_lines(self, lines, force=False):
         if not force and self.readonly():
-            raise Exception, "set_data: buffer is readonly"
+            raise Exception("set_data: buffer is readonly")
         start = self.get_buffer_start()
         end   = self.get_buffer_end()
         self.delete(start, end, force=force)
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ class InterpreterBuffer(Buffer):
     def get_env(self):
         return {}
     def get_cmd(self):
-        raise Exception, 'unimplemented'
+        raise Exception('unimplemented')
     def pipe_readline(self):
         if self.pipe.poll() is not None:
             raise InterpreterPipeError('broken pipe')
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ class IperlBuffer(InterpreterBuffer):
             if parent.path.endswith('.pm'):
                 return '*%s:%s*' % (cls._basename, parent.name())
             else:
-                raise Exception, "not a perl module"
+                raise Exception("not a perl module")
         else:
             return '*%s*' % cls._basename
     create_name = classmethod(create_name)
@@ -581,21 +581,21 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
         path = os.path.realpath(path)
         self.path = path
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' does not exist" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' does not exist" % (path))
         if not os.access(path, os.R_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' cannot be read" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' cannot be read" % (path))
         f = open(path, 'r')
         return f
     def _open_file_w(self, path=None, preserve=True):
         if path is None:
             path = self.path
         if preserve and os.path.isfile(path):
-            raise Exception, "Path '%s' already exists" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Path '%s' already exists" % (path))
         d = os.path.dirname(path)
         if not os.access(d, os.R_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Dir '%s' cannot be read" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Dir '%s' cannot be read" % (path))
         if not os.access(d, os.W_OK):
-            raise Exception, "Dir '%s' cannot be written" % (path)
+            raise Exception("Dir '%s' cannot be written" % (path))
         f = open(path, 'w')
         return f
     def _temp_path(self, path=None):
@@ -610,8 +610,6 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
     def path_exists(self):
         return os.path.exists(self.path)
     def store_checksum(self, data):
-        #self.checksum = md5.new(data)
-        #self.checksum = hashlib.md5(data)
         self.checksum = hasher(data)
     def read(self):
         if self.path_exists():
@@ -626,7 +624,7 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
             data = ''
 
         if data.startswith('\xEF\xBB\xBF'):
-            # utf-8
+            # utf-8 bytemark
             self.bytemark = data[:3]
             data          = data[3:]
 
@@ -635,8 +633,7 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
         data = data.replace("\t", "    ")
         for i in range(0, min(len(data), 128)):
             if data[i] not in string.printable:
-                raise BinaryDataException, "binary files are not supported"
-        #FIXME: this is horrible...but maybe not as horrible as using tabs??
+                raise BinaryDataException("binary files are not supported")
         return data
     def open(self):
         data = self.read()
@@ -649,8 +646,6 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
         f = open(self.path)
         data = f.read()
         f.close()
-        #m = md5.new(data)
-        #m = hashlib.md5(data)
         m = hasher(data)
         return self.checksum.digest() != m.digest()
     def save(self, force=False):
@@ -661,9 +656,9 @@ class FileBuffer(Buffer):
             # the file already existed and we took a checksum so make sure it's
             # still the same right now
             if not self.path_exists():
-                raise Exception, "oh no! %r disappeared!" % self.path
+                raise FileGoneError("oh no! %r disappeared!" % self.path)
             if self.changed_on_disk():
-                raise Exception, "oh no! %r has changed on-disk!" % self.path
+                raise FileChangedError("oh no! %r has changed on-disk!" % self.path)
 
         exists = os.path.exists(self.path)
         if exists:
diff --git a/method/buffers.py b/method/buffers.py
index b99e1cf..d34886c 100644
--- a/method/buffers.py
+++ b/method/buffers.py
@@ -115,11 +115,17 @@ class SaveBufferAs(Method):
 class SaveBuffer(Method):
     '''Save the contents of a buffer'''    
     def _execute(self, w, **vargs):
-        if w.buffer.changed():
+        if not w.buffer.changed():
+            w.set_error("(No changes need to be saved)")
+            return
+        try:
             w.buffer.save()
             w.set_error("Wrote %s" % (w.buffer.path))
-        else:
-            w.set_error("(No changes need to be saved)")
+        except buffer.FileGoneError, e:
+            w.buffer.save(force=True)
+            w.set_error("File had disappeared! Wrote %s" % (w.buffer.path))
+        except buffer.FileChangedError, e:
+            pass
 
 class ToggleTabs(Method):
     '''Toggle whether to write tabs out or not (defaults to false)'''