diff --git a/src/core/components/files.js b/src/core/components/files.js
index 4a4f60c797..009e1229ad 100644
--- a/src/core/components/files.js
+++ b/src/core/components/files.js
@@ -130,22 +130,25 @@ module.exports = function files (self) {
       throw new Error('You must supply an ipfsPath')
     }
 
+    ipfsPath = normalizePath(ipfsPath)
+    const pathComponents = ipfsPath.split('/')
+    const restPath = normalizePath(pathComponents.slice(1).join('/'))
+    const filterFile = (file) => (restPath && file.path === restPath) || (file.path === ipfsPath)
+
     const d = deferred.source()
 
     pull(
       exporter(ipfsPath, self._ipldResolver),
       pull.collect((err, files) => {
-        if (err) { d.end(err) }
+        if (err) { return d.abort(err) }
+        if (files && files.length > 1) {
+          files = files.filter(filterFile)
+        }
         if (!files || !files.length) {
           return d.abort(new Error('No such file'))
         }
 
-        if (files.length > 1) {
-          files = files.filter((file) => file.path === ipfsPath)
-        }
-
         const file = files[0]
-
         const content = file.content
         if (!content && file.type === 'dir') {
           return d.abort(new Error('this dag node is a directory'))
@@ -288,3 +291,17 @@ module.exports = function files (self) {
     lsPullStreamImmutable: _lsPullStreamImmutable
   }
 }
+
+function normalizePath (path) {
+  if (Buffer.isBuffer(path)) {
+    path = toB58String(path)
+  }
+  if (path.indexOf('/ipfs/') === 0) {
+    path = path.substring('/ipfs/'.length)
+  }
+  if (path.charAt(path.length - 1) === '/') {
+    path = path.substring(0, path.length - 1)
+  }
+
+  return path
+}