diff --git a/helix-core/src/indent.rs b/helix-core/src/indent.rs
index 7fedb7d3..4bd644d4 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/indent.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/indent.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ fn indent_level_for_line(line: RopeSlice, tab_width: usize) -> usize {
 /// Find the highest syntax node at position.
 /// This is to identify the column where this node (e.g., an HTML closing tag) ends.
 fn get_highest_syntax_node_at_bytepos(syntax: &Syntax, pos: usize) -> Option<Node> {
-    let tree = syntax.root_layer.tree.as_ref().unwrap();
+    let tree = syntax.tree();
 
     // named_descendant
     let mut node = match tree.root_node().descendant_for_byte_range(pos, pos) {
diff --git a/helix-core/src/match_brackets.rs b/helix-core/src/match_brackets.rs
index f641d094..fd161776 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/match_brackets.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/match_brackets.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use crate::{Range, Rope, Selection, Syntax};
 
 #[must_use]
 pub fn find(syntax: &Syntax, doc: &Rope, pos: usize) -> Option<usize> {
-    let tree = syntax.root_layer.tree.as_ref().unwrap();
+    let tree = syntax.tree();
 
     let byte_pos = doc.char_to_byte(pos);
 
diff --git a/helix-core/src/object.rs b/helix-core/src/object.rs
index 19ff9d96..1c644fb2 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/object.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/object.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use smallvec::smallvec;
 // TODO: to contract_selection we'd need to store the previous ranges before expand.
 // Maybe just contract to the first child node?
 pub fn expand_selection(syntax: &Syntax, text: RopeSlice, selection: &Selection) -> Selection {
-    let tree = syntax.root_layer.tree.as_ref().unwrap();
+    let tree = syntax.tree();
 
     selection.transform(|range| {
         let from = text.char_to_byte(range.from());
diff --git a/helix-core/src/syntax.rs b/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
index a6b1cf61..42bfb855 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/syntax.rs
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ thread_local! {
 pub struct Syntax {
     config: Arc<HighlightConfiguration>,
 
-    pub(crate) root_layer: LanguageLayer,
+    root_layer: LanguageLayer,
 }
 
 fn byte_range_to_str(range: std::ops::Range<usize>, source: RopeSlice) -> Cow<str> {
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ impl Syntax {
     //
     // fn parse(language, old_tree, ranges)
     //
-    fn tree(&self) -> &Tree {
+    pub fn tree(&self) -> &Tree {
         self.root_layer.tree()
     }
     //
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ impl LanguageLayer {
     //     Self { tree: None }
     // }
 
-    fn tree(&self) -> &Tree {
+    pub fn tree(&self) -> &Tree {
         // TODO: no unwrap
         self.tree.as_ref().unwrap()
     }
@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ fn test_parser() {
     ",
     );
     let syntax = Syntax::new(&source, Arc::new(config));
-    let tree = syntax.root_layer.tree.unwrap();
+    let tree = syntax.tree();
     let root = tree.root_node();
     assert_eq!(root.kind(), "source_file");
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index dd7de06e..5fdf6a0a 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -831,12 +831,12 @@ pub fn buffer_picker(cx: &mut Context) {
             .collect(),
         move |(id, path): &(DocumentId, Option<PathBuf>)| {
             // format_fn
-            match path {
+            match path.as_ref().and_then(|path| path.to_str()) {
                 Some(path) => {
                     if *id == current {
-                        format!("{} (*)", path.to_str().unwrap()).into()
+                        format!("{} (*)", path).into()
                     } else {
-                        path.to_str().unwrap().into()
+                        path.into()
                     }
                 }
                 None => "[NEW]".into(),
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
index 8b3a1ca2..c61f0bd1 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
@@ -130,9 +130,7 @@ impl Prompt {
                 theme.get("ui.statusline"),
             );
             for (i, (_range, completion)) in self.completion.iter().enumerate() {
-                let color = if self.completion_selection_index.is_some()
-                    && i == self.completion_selection_index.unwrap()
-                {
+                let color = if Some(i) == self.completion_selection_index {
                     Style::default().bg(Color::Rgb(104, 60, 232))
                 } else {
                     text_color