diff --git a/src/Git.zig b/src/Git.zig
index f38cf94..8f421bb 100644
--- a/src/Git.zig
+++ b/src/Git.zig
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const util = @import("util.zig");
 
 repo: ?*c.git_repository,
-git_path: []const u8,
+git_path: [:0]const u8,
 repo_path: []const u8,
 allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
 repo_state: c_int,
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !?*Git {
         .allocator = allocator,
         .repo_state = undefined,
         .repo_path = undefined,
-        .cache = .init(self.allocator, self.git_path),
+        .cache = .init(self.allocator, std.mem.span(self.git_path.ptr)),
     };
 
     if (c.git_repository_open(&self.repo, repo_root.?.ptr) != 0) {
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ pub fn headIsDetached(self: *Git) bool {
     return c.git_repository_head_detached(self.repo) == 1;
 }
 
-fn findRepoRoot(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !?[]u8 {
+fn findRepoRoot(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !?[:0]u8 {
     const s = perf.s();
     defer perf.e(s, @src());
 
@@ -260,20 +260,18 @@ fn findRepoRoot(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !?[]u8 {
         };
 
         return switch (stat.kind) {
-            .directory => try allocator.dupe(u8, try cur_path.realpathZ(
+            .directory => try allocator.dupeZ(u8, try cur_path.realpath(
                 ".git",
                 &buf,
             )),
             .file => {
                 @branchHint(.cold);
-                const f = try cur_path.openFile(".git", .{ .mode = .read_only });
-                const file_reader = f.reader(&buf);
-                var reader = file_reader.interface;
-                const read = try reader.readSliceShort(&buf);
                 const prefix = "gitdir: ";
-                if (std.mem.startsWith(u8, &buf, prefix)) {
-                    buf[read - 1] = 0; // remove the newline
-                    return try allocator.dupe(u8, buf[prefix.len..]);
+                var file_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes + prefix.len]u8 = undefined;
+                const read = try cur_path.readFile(".git", &file_buf);
+
+                if (read.len > 0 and std.mem.eql(u8, file_buf[0..prefix.len], prefix)) {
+                    return try allocator.dupeZ(u8, read[prefix.len..read.len - 1]);
                 }
                 return null;
             },