diff --git a/lua/dbee/api/ui.lua b/lua/dbee/api/ui.lua
index 3099a36..542d89f 100644
--- a/lua/dbee/api/ui.lua
+++ b/lua/dbee/api/ui.lua
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ function ui.editor_namespace_create_note(id, name)
   return state.editor():namespace_create_note(id, name)
 end
 
+--- Opens a file as a temporary note in the global namespace
+---@param id namespace_id
+---@param file string
+---@return note_id
+function ui.editor_open_file_as_note(file)
+  return state.editor():open_file_as_note(file)
+end
+
 --- Get notes of a specified namespace.
 ---@param id namespace_id
 ---@return note_details[]
diff --git a/lua/dbee/ui/drawer/init.lua b/lua/dbee/ui/drawer/init.lua
index c7e0615..e32a6a0 100644
--- a/lua/dbee/ui/drawer/init.lua
+++ b/lua/dbee/ui/drawer/init.lua
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ function DrawerUI:new(handler, editor, result, opts)
     o:on_current_note_changed(data)
   end)
 
+  editor:register_event_listener("note_created",
+  function (data)
+    o:on_note_created(data)
+  end)
+
   return o
 end
 
@@ -130,6 +135,12 @@ function DrawerUI:on_current_note_changed(data)
   self:refresh()
 end
 
+-- event listener for new note created
+---@private
+function DrawerUI:on_note_created(_)
+  self:refresh()
+end
+
 ---@private
 ---@param bufnr integer
 ---@return NuiTree tree
diff --git a/lua/dbee/ui/editor/init.lua b/lua/dbee/ui/editor/init.lua
index 151afed..f5da98b 100644
--- a/lua/dbee/ui/editor/init.lua
+++ b/lua/dbee/ui/editor/init.lua
@@ -292,6 +292,28 @@ function EditorUI:namespace_create_note(id, name)
   return note_id
 end
 
+-- Creates a new note in namespace.
+-- Errors if id or name is nil or there is a note with the same
+-- name in namespace already.
+---@param file string
+---@return note_id
+function EditorUI:open_file_as_note(file)
+  ---@type note_details
+  local s = {
+    id = file,
+    name = file,
+    file = file,
+  }
+
+  -- a bit shitty
+  self.notes["global"] = self.notes["global"] or {}
+  self.notes["global"][file] = s
+
+  self:trigger_event("note_created", { note = s })
+
+  return file
+end
+
 ---@param id namespace_id
 ---@return note_details[]
 function EditorUI:namespace_get_notes(id)