diff --git a/src/core/core.odin b/src/core/core.odin
index 5ec62a3..eefb3fa 100644
--- a/src/core/core.odin
+++ b/src/core/core.odin
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ State :: struct {
     command_args: [dynamic]EditorCommandArgument,
 
     current_panel: Maybe(int),
+    last_panel: Maybe(int),
     panels: util.StaticList(Panel),
     buffers: util.StaticList(FileBuffer),
 }
@@ -150,6 +151,20 @@ current_buffer :: proc(state: ^State) -> ^FileBuffer {
     return nil
 }
 
+switch_to_panel :: proc(state: ^State, panel_id: int) {
+    if panel, ok := util.get(&state.panels, panel_id).?; ok {
+        if current_panel, ok := state.current_panel.?; ok {
+            if current_panel, ok := util.get(&state.panels, current_panel).?; ok {
+                if !current_panel.is_floating {
+                    state.last_panel = state.current_panel
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        state.current_panel = panel_id
+    }
+}
+
 new_buffer_virtual :: proc(state: ^State) -> (id: int, buffer: ^FileBuffer, ok: bool) {
     return util.append(&state.buffers, new_virtual_file_buffer(context.allocator))
 }
@@ -178,19 +193,37 @@ new_buffer_file :: proc(state: ^State, file_path: string, line: int = 0, col: in
 new_buffer :: proc{new_buffer_file, new_buffer_virtual}
 
 open_buffer_file :: proc(state: ^State, file_path: string, line: int = 0, col: int = 0) {
+    attempt_switch_to_panel_buffer :: proc(state: ^State, panel: ^Panel, file_path: string, line: int, col: int) -> bool {
+        if type, ok := &panel.type.(FileBufferPanel); ok {
+            buffer_id, _, ok := new_buffer_file(state, file_path, line, col)
+            if ok {
+                type.buffer_id = buffer_id
+                switch_to_panel(state, panel.id)
+
+                return true
+            }
+        } 
+
+        return false
+    }
+
+    if last_panel, ok := state.last_panel.?; ok {
+        if panel, ok := util.get(&state.panels, last_panel).?; ok {
+            if attempt_switch_to_panel_buffer(state, panel, file_path, line, col) {
+               return 
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     next_id := 0
     for {
         if panel, ok := util.get(&state.panels, next_id).?; ok {
-            if type, ok := &panel.type.(FileBufferPanel); ok {
-                buffer_id, _, ok := new_buffer_file(state, file_path, line, col)
-                if ok {
-                    type.buffer_id = buffer_id
-                    state.current_panel = panel.id
-                }
-
+            if attempt_switch_to_panel_buffer(state, panel, file_path, line, col) {
                 break
-            } else {
-                next_id := util.get_next(&state.panels, next_id)
+            }
+
+            if id, ok := util.get_next(&state.panels, next_id).?; ok {
+                next_id = id
                 continue
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/main.odin b/src/main.odin
index 6742d42..3da828e 100644
--- a/src/main.odin
+++ b/src/main.odin
@@ -265,10 +265,6 @@ main :: proc() {
         panels.open(&state, panels.make_file_buffer_panel(""))
     }
 
-
-    panels.open(&state, panels.make_debug_panel())
-    panels.open(&state, panels.make_debug_panel())
-
     if sdl2.Init({.VIDEO}) < 0 {
         log.error("SDL failed to initialize:", sdl2.GetError());
         return;
diff --git a/src/panels/debug.odin b/src/panels/debug.odin
index 5886179..1c474b2 100644
--- a/src/panels/debug.odin
+++ b/src/panels/debug.odin
@@ -85,7 +85,13 @@ render_buffer_list :: proc(state: ^core.State, s: ^ui.State) {
 
         for i in 0..<len(state.buffers.data) {
             if buffer, ok := util.get(&state.buffers, i).?; ok {
-                buffer_label := fmt.tprintf("buf '%v' - %v", i, buffer.file_path[len(state.directory):])
+                buffer_label: string
+                if len(buffer.file_path) > len(state.directory) {
+                    buffer_label = fmt.tprintf("buf '%v' - %v", i, buffer.file_path[len(state.directory):])
+                } else {
+                    buffer_label = fmt.tprintf("buf '%v' - %v", i, buffer.file_path)
+                }
+
                 ui.open_element(s, buffer_label, {})
                 ui.close_element(s)
             }
@@ -121,6 +127,13 @@ render_panel_list :: proc(state: ^core.State, s: ^ui.State) {
         })
         ui.close_element(s)
 
+        
+        if state.last_panel != nil {
+            last_panel_label := fmt.tprintf("last panel id '%v'", state.last_panel.?)
+            ui.open_element(s, last_panel_label, {})
+            ui.close_element(s)
+        }
+
         for i in 0..<len(state.panels.data) {
             if panel, ok := util.get(&state.panels, i).?; ok {
                 info: string
diff --git a/src/panels/file_buffer.odin b/src/panels/file_buffer.odin
index 846a849..ae214b6 100644
--- a/src/panels/file_buffer.odin
+++ b/src/panels/file_buffer.odin
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ make_file_buffer_panel :: proc(file_path: string, line: int = 0, col: int = 0) -
         drop = proc(panel: ^core.Panel, state: ^core.State) {
         },
         create = proc(panel: ^core.Panel, state: ^core.State) {
+            state_allocator = context.allocator
             context.allocator = panel.allocator
 
             panel_state := &panel.type.(core.FileBufferPanel)
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ make_file_buffer_panel :: proc(file_path: string, line: int = 0, col: int = 0) -
             panel_state.search_buffer = core.new_virtual_file_buffer(panel.allocator)
 
             if len(panel_state.file_path) == 0 {
+                // FIXME: don't allocate with the panel allocator
                 if buffer_id, _, ok := core.new_buffer(state); ok {
                     panel_state.buffer_id = buffer_id
                 } else {
diff --git a/src/panels/panels.odin b/src/panels/panels.odin
index 2da385b..eba713f 100644
--- a/src/panels/panels.odin
+++ b/src/panels/panels.odin
@@ -21,13 +21,23 @@ register_default_leader_actions :: proc(input_map: ^core.InputActions) {
     core.register_key_action(input_map, .R, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
         open_grep_panel(state)
     }, "Grep Workspace")
+
+    core.register_key_action(input_map, .COMMA, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
+        current_panel := state.current_panel
+
+        open(state, make_debug_panel())
+
+        state.current_panel = current_panel
+
+        core.reset_input_map(state)
+    }, "DEBUG WINDOW")
 }
 
 register_default_panel_actions :: proc(input_map: ^core.InputActions) {
     core.register_key_action(input_map, .H, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
         if current_panel, ok := state.current_panel.?; ok {
             if prev, ok := util.get_prev(&state.panels, current_panel).?; ok {
-                state.current_panel = prev
+                core.switch_to_panel(state, prev)
             }
         }
 
@@ -36,13 +46,19 @@ register_default_panel_actions :: proc(input_map: ^core.InputActions) {
     core.register_key_action(input_map, .L, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
         if current_panel, ok := state.current_panel.?; ok {
             if next, ok := util.get_next(&state.panels, current_panel).?; ok {
-                state.current_panel = next
+                core.switch_to_panel(state, next)
             }
         }
 
         core.reset_input_map(state)
     }, "focus panel to the right");
 
+    core.register_key_action(input_map, .V, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
+        open(state, make_file_buffer_panel(""))
+
+        core.reset_input_map(state)
+    }, "Split Panel");
+
     core.register_key_action(input_map, .Q, proc(state: ^core.State, user_data: rawptr) {
         if current_panel, ok := state.current_panel.?; ok {
             close(state, current_panel) 
@@ -54,7 +70,6 @@ register_default_panel_actions :: proc(input_map: ^core.InputActions) {
 open :: proc(state: ^core.State, panel: core.Panel, make_active: bool = true) -> (panel_id: int, ok: bool) {
     if panel_id, panel, ok := util.append_static_list(&state.panels, panel); ok && make_active {
         panel.id = panel_id
-        state.current_panel = panel_id
 
         arena_bytes, err := make([]u8, 1024*1024*8)
         if err != nil {
@@ -68,6 +83,7 @@ open :: proc(state: ^core.State, panel: core.Panel, make_active: bool = true) ->
 
         panel->create(state)
 
+        core.switch_to_panel(state, panel_id)
         core.reset_input_map(state)
 
         return panel_id, true
@@ -86,9 +102,12 @@ close :: proc(state: ^core.State, panel_id: int) {
 
         util.delete(&state.panels, panel_id)
 
-        // TODO: keep track of the last active panel instead of focusing back to the first one
-        if first_active, ok := util.get_first_active_index(&state.panels).?; ok {
+        if last_panel, ok := state.last_panel.?; ok {
+            core.switch_to_panel(state, last_panel)
+        } else if first_active, ok := util.get_first_active_index(&state.panels).?; ok {
             state.current_panel = first_active
+        } else {
+            // TODO: open panel
         }
 
         core.reset_input_map(state)