diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntry.vue b/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntry.vue
index 1667c11..389322d 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntry.vue
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntry.vue
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 					<component :is="icon" class="size-icon icon-default" />
 					<LinkIcon v-if="entry.type === 'symbolic link'" class="w-2 h-2 absolute right-0 bottom-0 text-default" />
 				</div>
-				<button v-if="directoryLike" @click.stop="() => showEntries = !showEntries">
+				<button v-if="directoryLike" @click.stop="toggleShowEntries">
 					<ChevronDownIcon v-if="!showEntries" class="size-icon icon-default" />
 					<ChevronUpIcon v-else class="size-icon icon-default" />
 				</button>
@@ -107,6 +107,14 @@ export default {
 			return directoryViewRef.value?.getEntries?.();
 		}
 
+		const toggleShowEntries = () => {
+			emit('startProcessing');
+			nextTick(() => {
+				showEntries.value = !showEntries.value;
+				nextTick(() => emit('stopProcessing'));
+			})
+		}
+
 		watch(props.entry, () => {
 			if (props.entry.type === 'directory' || (props.entry.type === 'symbolic link' && props.entry.target?.type === 'directory')) {
 				icon.value = FolderIcon;
@@ -125,6 +133,7 @@ export default {
 			directoryViewRef,
 			doubleClickCallback,
 			getEntries,
+			toggleShowEntries,
 			DirectoryEntryList,
 			nextTick,
 		}
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntryList.vue b/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntryList.vue
index 4445119..5f30760 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntryList.vue
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/components/DirectoryEntryList.vue
@@ -90,30 +90,40 @@ export default {
 		}
 
 		const getEntries = async () => {
-			processingHandler.start();
-			const readLink = (target, cwd, symlinkStr) => {
-				return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-					const linkTargetRaw = symlinkStr.split(/\s*->\s*/)[1].trim().replace(/^['"]|['"]$/g, '');
-					Object.assign(target, {
-						rawPath: linkTargetRaw,
-						path: canonicalPath(linkTargetRaw.replace(/^(?!\/)/, `${cwd}/`)),
-					});
-					useSpawn(['stat', '-c', '%F', target.path], { superuser: 'try' }).promise()
-						.then(state => {
-							target.type = state.stdout.trim();
-							target.broken = false;
-						})
-						.catch(() => {
-							target.broken = true;
-						})
-						.finally(resolve);
-				})
+			if (!props.path) {
+				return;
 			}
+			processingHandler.start();
 			const US = '\x1F';
 			const RS = '\x1E';
+			const processLinks = (linkTargets) => {
+				if (linkTargets.length === 0)
+					return null;
+				const callback = state => state.stdout
+					.trim()
+					.split('\n')
+					.filter(record => record)
+					.map((record, index) => {
+						if (record.includes(US)) {
+							const [type, mode] = record.split(US);
+							linkTargets[index].type = type;
+							linkTargets[index].mode = mode;
+							linkTargets[index].broken = false;
+						} else { // error
+							linkTargets[index].broken = true;
+						}
+					});
+				return new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
+					useSpawn(['stat', `--printf=%F${US}%f\n`, ...linkTargets.map(target => target.path)], { superuser: 'try', err: 'out' }).promise()
+						.then(callback)
+						.catch(callback)
+						.finally(resolve)
+				)
+			}
 			try {
 				const cwd = props.path;
 				const procs = [];
+				let tmpEntries;
 				procs.push(...entryRefs.value.filter(entryRef => entryRef.showEntries).map(entryRef => entryRef.getEntries()));
 				const entryNames =
 					(await useSpawn(['dir', '--almost-all', '--dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir', '--quoting-style=c', '-1', cwd], { superuser: 'try' }).promise()).stdout
@@ -123,7 +133,7 @@ export default {
 							try {
 								return JSON.parse(escaped);
 							} catch (error) {
-								notifications.constructNotification("Failed to parse file name", `${errorStringHTML(error)}\ncaused by ${escaped}`, 'error');
+								notifications.value.constructNotification("Failed to parse file name", `${errorStringHTML(error)}\ncaused by ${escaped}`, 'error');
 								return null;
 							}
 						})
@@ -141,7 +151,7 @@ export default {
 					'%F', // type
 					'%N', // quoted name with symlink
 				]
-				entries.value =
+				tmpEntries =
 					entryNames.length
 						? (await useSpawn(['stat', `--printf=${fields.join(US)}${RS}`, ...entryNames], { superuser: 'try', directory: cwd }).promise()).stdout
 							.split(RS)
@@ -154,7 +164,7 @@ export default {
 									mode = parseInt(mode, 16);
 									const entry = reactive({
 										name,
-										path: canonicalPath(`/${cwd}/${name}`),
+										path: `${cwd}/${name}`.replace(/\/+/g, '/'),
 										mode,
 										modeStr,
 										size,
@@ -167,8 +177,10 @@ export default {
 										type,
 										target: {},
 									});
-									if (type === 'symbolic link')
-										procs.push(readLink(entry.target, cwd, symlinkStr));
+									if (type === 'symbolic link') {
+										entry.target.rawPath = symlinkStr.split(/\s*->\s*/)[1].trim().replace(/^['"]|['"]$/g, '');
+										entry.target.path = entry.target.rawPath.replace(/^(?!\/)/, `${cwd}/`);
+									}
 									return entry;
 								} catch (error) {
 									console.error(errorString(error));
@@ -176,10 +188,13 @@ export default {
 								}
 							}).filter(entry => entry !== null)
 						: [];
+				procs.push(processLinks(tmpEntries.filter(entry => entry.type === 'symbolic link').map(entry => entry.target)));
 				processingHandler.start();
-				console.log("resolving", procs.length, 'symlinks');
 				return Promise.all(procs)
 					.then(() => {
+						if (props.path !== cwd)
+							return;
+						entries.value = [...tmpEntries];
 						emitStats();
 						sortEntries();
 					})
@@ -223,7 +238,11 @@ export default {
 		watch(() => props.sortCallback, sortEntries);
 		watch(() => settings.directoryView?.separateDirs, sortEntries);
 
-		watch(() => props.path, getEntries, { immediate: true });
+		watch(() => props.path, (current, old) => {
+			if (current === old)
+				return;
+			getEntries();
+		}, { immediate: true });
 
 		return {
 			settings,
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue b/navigator-vue/src/components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue
index e97fa81..26198a4 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 			<template v-for="segment, index in pathArr" :key="index">
 				<ChevronRightIcon v-if="index > 0" class="size-icon icon-default" />
 				<button
-					@click.prevent.stop="$emit('cd', canonicalPath(pathArr.slice(0, index + 1).join('/')))"
+					@click.prevent.stop="$emit('cd', `/${pathArr.slice(1, index + 1).join('/')}`)"
 					class="p-2 hover:bg-accent rounded-lg cursor-pointer"
 				>{{ segment }}</button>
 			</template>
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/main.js b/navigator-vue/src/main.js
index 36a7289..b7d683f 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/main.js
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/main.js
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 import { createApp, reactive } from 'vue';
 import App from './App.vue';
-import { FIFO } from '@45drives/cockpit-helpers';
+import { errorString, FIFO } from '@45drives/cockpit-helpers';
 import '@45drives/cockpit-css/src/index.css';
+import { useSpawn, errorStringHTML } from '@45drives/cockpit-helpers';
 
 import router from './router';
 
 const notificationFIFO = reactive(new FIFO());
 
-const errorHandler = (error) => {
+const errorHandler = (error, title = "System Error") => {
 	console.error(error);
 	const notificationObj = {
-		title: "System Error",
+		title,
 		body: "",
 		show: true,
 		timeout: 10000,
@@ -32,6 +33,33 @@ const errorHandler = (error) => {
 		throw error;
 }
 
+router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
+	if (to.name === 'browse') {
+		if (!to.params.path)
+			return "/browse/"; // force / for opening root
+		try {
+			let realPath = (await useSpawn(['realpath', '--canonicalize-existing', to.params.path], { superuser: 'try' }).promise()).stdout.trim();
+			if (to.params.path !== realPath)
+				return `/browse${realPath}`;
+			try {
+				await useSpawn(['test', '-r', to.params.path, '-a', '-x', to.params.path], { superuser: 'try' }).promise();
+			} catch {
+				throw new Error(`Permission denied for ${to.params.path}`);
+			}
+		} catch (error) {
+			if (from.name === undefined)
+				return { name: 'errorRedirect', query: { title: "Error opening path", message: errorString(error) } }
+			errorHandler(errorStringHTML(error), "Failed to open path");
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+	if (cockpit.location.href !== to.fullPath.replace(/\/$/, '') && to.name !== 'errorRedirect') {
+		cockpit.location.replace(to.fullPath);
+		return false; // avoid double render from router change and cockpit path change
+	}
+	return true;
+})
+
 const app = createApp(App, { notificationFIFO }).use(router);
 
 app.config.errorHandler = (error) => errorHandler(error);
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/router/index.js b/navigator-vue/src/router/index.js
index 427bf56..407f8ec 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/router/index.js
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/router/index.js
@@ -1,21 +1,27 @@
 import { createRouter, createWebHashHistory } from 'vue-router';
-import { lastPathStorageKey } from '../keys';
 
 const routes = [
 	{
-		path: '/browse:path(.+)',
+		path: '/browse:path(/.*)?',
 		name: 'browse',
 		component: () => import('../views/Browser.vue'),
 	},
 	{
-		path: '/edit/:path(.*)',
+		path: '/edit:path(/.+)',
 		name: 'edit',
 		component: () => import('../views/Editor.vue'),
 	},
 	{
-		path: '/:pathMatch(.*)*',
-		name: 'redirectToBrowse',
+		path: '/errorRedirect',
+		name: 'errorRedirect',
+		component: () => import('../views/ErrorRedirect.vue'),
+		props: route => ({ title: route.query.title, message: route.query.message }),
 	},
+	{
+		path: '/:pathMatch(.*)',
+		name: 'notFound',
+		redirect: route => ({ name: 'errorRedirect', query: { title: 'Not found', message: `${route.href} is not a valid location.` }}),
+	}
 ];
 
 const router = createRouter({
@@ -23,14 +29,4 @@ const router = createRouter({
 	routes,
 });
 
-router.beforeEach((to, from, next) => {
-	if (to.name === 'redirectToBrowse') {
-		const lastLocation = localStorage.getItem(lastPathStorageKey) ?? '/';
-		next(`/browse${lastLocation}`);
-		cockpit.location.go(`/browse${lastLocation}`);
-	} else {
-		next();
-	}
-})
-
 export default router;
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/views/Browser.vue b/navigator-vue/src/views/Browser.vue
index d7f1d14..dd426c4 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/views/Browser.vue
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/views/Browser.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 			<div
 				class="grid grid-cols-[auto_1fr] grid-rows-[1fr 1fr] md:grid-cols-[auto_3fr_1fr] md:grid-row-[1fr] items-stretch divide-x divide-y divide-default"
 			>
-				<div class="button-group-row p-1 md:px-4 md:py-2">
+				<div class="button-group-row p-1 md:px-4 md:py-2 border border-default">
 					<button
 						class="p-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-accent relative"
 						:disabled="!pathHistory.backAllowed()"
@@ -53,7 +53,11 @@
 							>{{ item }}</div>
 						</div>
 					</button>
-					<button class="p-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-accent" @click="up()">
+					<button
+						class="p-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-accent"
+						@click="up()"
+						:disabled="pathHistory.current() === '/'"
+					>
 						<ArrowUpIcon class="size-icon icon-default" />
 					</button>
 					<button class="p-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-accent" @click="directoryViewRef.getEntries()">
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@
 				<div
 					class="p-1 md:px-4 md:py-2 col-start-1 col-end-3 row-start-2 row-end-3 md:col-start-auto md:col-end-auto md:row-start-auto md:row-end-auto"
 				>
-					<PathBreadCrumbs :path="pathHistory.current() ?? '/'" @cd="newPath => cd(newPath, newPath !== pathHistory.current())" />
+					<PathBreadCrumbs :path="pathHistory.current() ?? '/'" @cd="newPath => cd(newPath)" />
 				</div>
 
 				<div class="p-1 md:px-4 md:py-2">
@@ -83,10 +87,10 @@
 			</div>
 			<div class="grow overflow-hidden">
 				<DirectoryView
-					:path="pathHistory.current() ?? '/'"
+					:path="pathHistory.current()"
 					:searchFilterRegExp="searchFilterRegExp"
 					@cd="newPath => cd(newPath)"
-					@edit="(...args) => console.log('edit', ...args)"
+					@edit="openEditor"
 					@updateStats="stats => $emit('updateFooterText', `${stats.files} file${stats.files === 1 ? '' : 's'}, ${stats.dirs} director${stats.dirs === 1 ? 'y' : 'ies'}`)"
 					ref="directoryViewRef"
 				/>
@@ -97,11 +101,10 @@
 
 <script>
 import { inject, ref, reactive, watch, nextTick } from 'vue';
-import { useRoute } from "vue-router";
+import { useRoute, useRouter } from "vue-router";
 import DirectoryView from "../components/DirectoryView.vue";
-import { errorStringHTML, canonicalPath } from '@45drives/cockpit-helpers';
+import { useSpawn, errorString, errorStringHTML, canonicalPath } from '@45drives/cockpit-helpers';
 import PathBreadCrumbs from '../components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue';
-import { checkIfExists, checkIfAllowed } from '../mode';
 import { notificationsInjectionKey, pathHistoryInjectionKey, lastPathStorageKey, settingsInjectionKey } from '../keys';
 import { ArrowLeftIcon, ArrowRightIcon, ArrowUpIcon, RefreshIcon, ChevronDownIcon, SearchIcon } from '@heroicons/vue/solid';
 
@@ -110,6 +113,7 @@ export default {
 		const settings = inject(settingsInjectionKey);
 		const notifications = inject(notificationsInjectionKey);
 		const route = useRoute();
+		const router = useRouter();
 		const pathHistory = inject(pathHistoryInjectionKey);
 		const directoryViewRef = ref();
 		const searchFilterStr = ref("");
@@ -143,66 +147,63 @@ export default {
 			}
 		});
 
-		const cd = (newPath, saveHistory = true) => {
-			localStorage.setItem(lastPathStorageKey, newPath);
-			if (saveHistory)
-				pathHistory.push(newPath);
-			cockpit.location.go(`/browse${newPath}`);
+		const cd = (newPath) => {
+			router.push(`/browse${newPath}`);
 		};
 
-		const back = (saveHistory = false) => {
-			cd(pathHistory.back() ?? '/', saveHistory);
+		const back = () => {
+			cd(pathHistory.back() ?? '/');
 		}
 
-		const forward = (saveHistory = false) => {
-			cd(pathHistory.forward() ?? '/', saveHistory);
+		const forward = () => {
+			cd(pathHistory.forward() ?? '/');
 		}
 
-		const up = (saveHistory = true) => {
-			cd(canonicalPath((pathHistory.current() ?? "") + '/..'), saveHistory);
+		const up = () => {
+			cd((pathHistory.current() ?? "") + '/..');
+		}
+
+		const openEditor = (path) => {
+			router.push(`/edit${path}`);
 		}
 
 		watch(searchFilterStr, () => {
 			searchFilterRegExp.value = new RegExp(
-				`^${
-					searchFilterStr.value
-						.replace(/[.+^${}()|[\]]|\\(?![*?])/g, '\\$&') // escape special chars, \\ only if not before * or ?
-						.replace(/(?<!\\)\*/g, '.*') // replace * with .* if not escaped
-						.replace(/(?<!\\)\?/g, '.') // replace ? with . if not escaped
+				`^${searchFilterStr.value
+					.replace(/[.+^${}()|[\]]|\\(?![*?])/g, '\\$&') // escape special chars, \\ only if not before * or ?
+					.replace(/(?<!\\)\*/g, '.*') // replace * with .* if not escaped
+					.replace(/(?<!\\)\?/g, '.') // replace ? with . if not escaped
 				}`
 			);
 		}, { immediate: true });
 
-		watch(() => route.params.path, async () => {
-			if (!route.params.path)
-				return cockpit.location.go('/browse/');
-			const tmpPath = canonicalPath(route.params.path);
-			if (pathHistory.current() !== tmpPath) {
-				pathHistory.push(tmpPath);
+		watch(() => route.params.path, async (current, last) => {
+			if (!last) {
+				console.log("First watch execute", last);
 			}
+			if (route.name !== 'browse' || current === last)
+				return;
 			try {
-				let badPath = false;
-				if (!await checkIfExists(tmpPath)) {
-					notifications.value.constructNotification("Failed to open path", `${tmpPath} does not exist.`, 'error');
-					badPath = true;
-				} else if (!await checkIfAllowed(tmpPath, true)) {
-					notifications.value.constructNotification("Failed to open path", `Permission denied for ${tmpPath}`, 'denied');
-					badPath = true;
+				const tmpPath = route.params.path;
+				// let realPath = (await useSpawn(['realpath', '--canonicalize-existing', tmpPath], { superuser: 'try' }).promise()).stdout.trim();
+				// if (tmpPath !== realPath)
+				// 	return cd(realPath);
+				try {
+					await useSpawn(['test', '-r', tmpPath, '-a', '-x', tmpPath], { superuser: 'try' }).promise();
+				} catch (error) {
+					console.error(error);
+					throw new Error(`Permission denied for ${tmpPath}`);
 				}
-				if (badPath) {
-					if (pathHistory.backAllowed())
-						back();
-					else
-						up(false);
-				} else {
-					localStorage.setItem(lastPathStorageKey, tmpPath);
+				localStorage.setItem(lastPathStorageKey, tmpPath);
+				if (pathHistory.current() !== tmpPath) {
+					pathHistory.push(tmpPath); // updates actual view
 				}
 			} catch (error) {
 				notifications.value.constructNotification("Failed to open path", errorStringHTML(error), 'error');
 				if (pathHistory.backAllowed())
 					back();
 				else
-					up(false);
+					up();
 			}
 		}, { immediate: true });
 
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ export default {
 			back,
 			forward,
 			up,
+			openEditor,
 		}
 	},
 	components: {
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/views/Editor.vue b/navigator-vue/src/views/Editor.vue
index e69de29..a541745 100644
--- a/navigator-vue/src/views/Editor.vue
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/views/Editor.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<template>
+	<div class="grow">Editing {{ path }}</div>
+</template>
+
+<script>
+import { ref, watch } from "vue";
+import { useRoute } from "vue-router";
+
+export default {
+	setup() {
+		const path = ref("");
+
+		const route = useRoute();
+
+		watch(() => route.params.path, (filePath) => path.value = filePath, { immediate: true });
+
+		return {
+			path,
+		}
+	}
+}
+</script> 
diff --git a/navigator-vue/src/views/ErrorRedirect.vue b/navigator-vue/src/views/ErrorRedirect.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd18288
--- /dev/null
+++ b/navigator-vue/src/views/ErrorRedirect.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<template>
+	<div class="grow flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-10">
+		<div class="text-header">{{title}}</div>
+		<div class="text-muted">{{message}}</div>
+		<div class="text-muted">Redirecting in {{counter}}...</div>
+	</div>
+</template>
+
+<script setup>
+import { ref } from 'vue';
+import { useRouter } from 'vue-router';
+import { lastPathStorageKey } from '../keys';
+
+const props = defineProps({
+	message: {
+		type: String,
+		required: false,
+		default: "A system error has occured.",
+	},
+	title: {
+		type: String,
+		required: false,
+		default: "Error",
+	}
+})
+
+const router = useRouter();
+
+const counter = ref(3);
+
+const countdown = () => {
+	counter.value--;
+	if (counter.value > 0)
+		setTimeout(countdown, 1000);
+	else {
+		const lastLocation = localStorage.getItem(lastPathStorageKey) ?? '/';
+		router.push(`/browse${lastLocation}`);
+	}
+}
+setTimeout(countdown, 1000);
+
+</script>