diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide.coffee
index 4f2d914135..6c5b1d920e 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide.coffee
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ define [
 	"directives/videoPlayState"
 	"services/queued-http"
 	"services/validateCaptcha"
+	"services/wait-for"
 	"filters/formatDate"
 	"main/event"
 	"main/account-upgrade"
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ define [
 	SafariScrollPatcher
 ) ->
 
-	App.controller "IdeController", ($scope, $timeout, ide, localStorage, sixpack, event_tracking, metadata) ->
+	App.controller "IdeController", ($scope, $timeout, ide, localStorage, sixpack, event_tracking, metadata, $q) ->
 		# Don't freak out if we're already in an apply callback
 		$scope.$originalApply = $scope.$apply
 		$scope.$apply = (fn = () ->) ->
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/binary-files/controllers/BinaryFileController.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/binary-files/controllers/BinaryFileController.coffee
index fddf315f66..bba455c447 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/binary-files/controllers/BinaryFileController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/binary-files/controllers/BinaryFileController.coffee
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ define [
 	"base"
 	"moment"
 ], (App, moment) ->
-	App.controller "BinaryFileController", ["$scope", "$rootScope", "$http", "$timeout", "$element", "ide", ($scope, $rootScope, $http, $timeout, $element, ide) ->
+	App.controller "BinaryFileController", ["$scope", "$rootScope", "$http", "$timeout", "$element", "ide", "waitFor", ($scope, $rootScope, $http, $timeout, $element, ide, waitFor) ->
 
 		TWO_MEGABYTES = 2 * 1024 * 1024
 
@@ -47,18 +47,6 @@ define [
 			else
 				return url
 
-		_tryOpenFile = (new_file_id) ->
-			iterations = 0
-			do tryOpen = () ->
-				if iterations > 10
-					return
-				iterations += 1
-				newFile = ide.fileTreeManager.findEntityById(new_file_id)
-				if newFile?
-					ide.binaryFilesManager.openFile(newFile)
-				else
-					setTimeout(tryOpen, 500)
-
 		$scope.refreshFile = (file) ->
 			$scope.refreshing = true
 			$scope.refreshError = null
@@ -68,7 +56,15 @@ define [
 					{ new_file_id } = data
 					$timeout(
 						() ->
-							_tryOpenFile(new_file_id)
+							waitFor(
+								() ->
+									ide.fileTreeManager.findEntityById(new_file_id)
+								5000
+							)
+								.then (newFile) ->
+									ide.binaryFilesManager.openFile(newFile)
+								.catch (err) ->
+									console.warn(err)
 						, 0
 					)
 					$scope.refreshError = null
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/history/controllers/HistoryV2DiffController.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/history/controllers/HistoryV2DiffController.coffee
index c2ced4cf59..279c230afb 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/history/controllers/HistoryV2DiffController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/history/controllers/HistoryV2DiffController.coffee
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 define [
 	"base"
 ], (App) ->
-	App.controller "HistoryV2DiffController", ($scope, ide, event_tracking) ->
+	App.controller "HistoryV2DiffController", ($scope, ide, event_tracking, waitFor) ->
 		$scope.restoreState =
 			inflight: false
 			error: false
@@ -24,17 +24,16 @@ define [
 					$scope.restoreState.inflight = false
 
 		openEntity = (data) ->
-			iterations = 0
 			{id, type} = data
-			do tryOpen = () ->
-				if iterations > 5
-					return
-				iterations += 1
-				entity = ide.fileTreeManager.findEntityById(id)
-				if entity? and type == 'doc'
-					ide.editorManager.openDoc(entity)
-				else if entity? and type == 'file'
-					ide.binaryFilesManager.openFile(entity)
-				else
-					setTimeout(tryOpen, 500)
-			
\ No newline at end of file
+			waitFor(
+				() ->
+					ide.fileTreeManager.findEntityById(id)
+				3000
+			)
+				.then (entity) ->
+					if type == 'doc'
+						ide.editorManager.openDoc(entity)
+					else if type == 'file'
+						ide.binaryFilesManager.openFile(entity)
+				.catch (err) ->
+					console.warn(err)
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/services/wait-for.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/services/wait-for.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..409142354c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/services/wait-for.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+define [
+	"base"
+], (App) ->
+	App.factory "waitFor", ($q) ->
+		waitFor = (testFunction, timeout, pollInterval=500) ->
+			iterationLimit = Math.floor(timeout / pollInterval)
+			iterations = 0
+			$q(
+				(resolve, reject) ->
+					do tryIteration = () ->
+						if iterations > iterationLimit
+							return reject(new Error("waiting too long, #{JSON.stringify({timeout, pollInterval})}"))
+						iterations += 1
+						result = testFunction()
+						if result?
+							resolve(result)
+						else
+							setTimeout(tryIteration, pollInterval)
+			)
+		return waitFor