diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
index 9ffee92f..408dcac9 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ function isDirectory(url)
     if (url.match(/^file:\/\//) || url.match(/^\//))
     {
         var stripedFilename = url.replace(/^(file:\/\/)?(.*)/, "$2");
-        var file = fopen(stripedFilename, '<');
+        var file = vimperator.fopen(stripedFilename, '<');
         if (!file)
             return false;
 
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
index 93d0a2b0..dd2cc9bb 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function get_file_completions(filter) //{{{
 
     var compl = match[2] || '';
     try {
-        var fd = fopen(dir, "<");
+        var fd = vimperator.fopen(dir, "<");
     } catch(e) {
         // thrown if file does not exist
         return [ ];
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/file.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/file.js
index d1ad7b2b..455f08d7 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/file.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/file.js
@@ -41,11 +41,6 @@ const MODE_SYNC     = 0x40;
 const MODE_EXCL     = 0x80;
 
 
-function fopen (path, mode, perms, tmp)
-{
-    return new LocalFile(path, mode, perms, tmp);
-}
-
 function LocalFile(file, mode, perms, tmp) // {{{
 {
     const classes = Components.classes;
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
index c53ce3b0..fededf89 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
@@ -249,6 +249,11 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
             content.focus(); // FIXME: shouldn't be window.document.content?
         },
 
+        fopen: function(path, mode, perms, tmp)
+        {
+            return new LocalFile(path, mode, perms, tmp);
+        },
+
         /**
          * logs a message to the javascript error console
          */
@@ -514,7 +519,7 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
 
             try
             {
-                var fd = fopen(filename, "<");
+                var fd = vimperator.fopen(filename, "<");
                 if (!fd)
                     return;
 
@@ -649,7 +654,7 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                 // also source plugins in ~/.vimperator/plugin/
                 var entries = [];
                 try {
-                    var fd = fopen("~/.vimperator/plugin", "<");
+                    var fd = vimperator.fopen("~/.vimperator/plugin", "<");
                     var entries = fd.read();
                     fd.close();
                     entries.forEach(function(file) {