diff --git a/crates/workspace/src/workspace.rs b/crates/workspace/src/workspace.rs
index 5947cb1703b37017bf75bfe412603332b8d5016a..516dc867ae14f7138dff0a968e210e214d0beb29 100644
--- a/crates/workspace/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/crates/workspace/src/workspace.rs
@@ -1627,6 +1627,7 @@ impl Workspace {
         app_state: Arc<AppState>,
         requesting_window: Option<WindowHandle<Workspace>>,
         env: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
+        init: Option<Box<dyn FnOnce(&mut Workspace, &mut Window, &mut Context<Workspace>) + Send>>,
         cx: &mut App,
     ) -> Task<
         anyhow::Result<(
@@ -1734,6 +1735,12 @@ impl Workspace {
                         );
 
                         workspace.centered_layout = centered_layout;
+
+                        // Call init callback to add items before window renders
+                        if let Some(init) = init {
+                            init(&mut workspace, window, cx);
+                        }
+
                         workspace
                     });
                 })?;
@@ -1785,6 +1792,12 @@ impl Workspace {
                                 cx,
                             );
                             workspace.centered_layout = centered_layout;
+
+                            // Call init callback to add items before window renders
+                            if let Some(init) = init {
+                                init(&mut workspace, window, cx);
+                            }
+
                             workspace
                         })
                     }
@@ -2350,7 +2363,7 @@ impl Workspace {
             Task::ready(Ok(callback(self, window, cx)))
         } else {
             let env = self.project.read(cx).cli_environment(cx);
-            let task = Self::new_local(Vec::new(), self.app_state.clone(), None, env, cx);
+            let task = Self::new_local(Vec::new(), self.app_state.clone(), None, env, None, cx);
             cx.spawn_in(window, async move |_vh, cx| {
                 let (workspace, _) = task.await?;
                 workspace.update(cx, callback)
@@ -7758,7 +7771,14 @@ pub fn join_channel(
             // no open workspaces, make one to show the error in (blergh)
             let (window_handle, _) = cx
                 .update(|cx| {
-                    Workspace::new_local(vec![], app_state.clone(), requesting_window, None, cx)
+                    Workspace::new_local(
+                        vec![],
+                        app_state.clone(),
+                        requesting_window,
+                        None,
+                        None,
+                        cx,
+                    )
                 })?
                 .await?;
 
@@ -7824,7 +7844,7 @@ pub async fn get_any_active_workspace(
     // find an existing workspace to focus and show call controls
     let active_window = activate_any_workspace_window(&mut cx);
     if active_window.is_none() {
-        cx.update(|cx| Workspace::new_local(vec![], app_state.clone(), None, None, cx))?
+        cx.update(|cx| Workspace::new_local(vec![], app_state.clone(), None, None, None, cx))?
             .await?;
     }
     activate_any_workspace_window(&mut cx).context("could not open zed")
@@ -7991,6 +8011,7 @@ pub fn open_paths(
                     app_state.clone(),
                     open_options.replace_window,
                     open_options.env,
+                    None,
                     cx,
                 )
             })?
@@ -8035,14 +8056,17 @@ pub fn open_new(
     cx: &mut App,
     init: impl FnOnce(&mut Workspace, &mut Window, &mut Context<Workspace>) + 'static + Send,
 ) -> Task<anyhow::Result<()>> {
-    let task = Workspace::new_local(Vec::new(), app_state, None, open_options.env, cx);
-    cx.spawn(async move |cx| {
-        let (workspace, opened_paths) = task.await?;
-        workspace.update(cx, |workspace, window, cx| {
-            if opened_paths.is_empty() {
-                init(workspace, window, cx)
-            }
-        })?;
+    let task = Workspace::new_local(
+        Vec::new(),
+        app_state,
+        None,
+        open_options.env,
+        Some(Box::new(init)),
+        cx,
+    );
+    cx.spawn(async move |_cx| {
+        let (_workspace, _opened_paths) = task.await?;
+        // Init callback is called synchronously during workspace creation
         Ok(())
     })
 }
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
index fc5e74a76905d1ea45fa8bad2df12e22a23122e3..d2764c5c334ba32730982fc55e80d6197de3a2aa 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
@@ -1111,7 +1111,21 @@ fn register_actions(
                         cx,
                         |workspace, window, cx| {
                             cx.activate(true);
-                            Editor::new_file(workspace, &Default::default(), window, cx)
+                            // Create buffer synchronously to avoid flicker
+                            let project = workspace.project().clone();
+                            let buffer = project.update(cx, |project, cx| {
+                                project.create_local_buffer("", None, true, cx)
+                            });
+                            let editor = cx.new(|cx| {
+                                Editor::for_buffer(buffer, Some(project), window, cx)
+                            });
+                            workspace.add_item_to_active_pane(
+                                Box::new(editor),
+                                None,
+                                true,
+                                window,
+                                cx,
+                            );
                         },
                     )
                     .detach();