diff --git a/src/BufferView.C b/src/BufferView.C
index 2dc1129034..6509e3a52f 100644
--- a/src/BufferView.C
+++ b/src/BufferView.C
@@ -107,12 +107,6 @@ void BufferView::setBuffer(Buffer * b)
 }
 
 
-void BufferView::newFile(string const & fn, string const & tn, bool named)
-{
-	pimpl_->newFile(fn, tn, named);
-}
-
-
 bool BufferView::loadLyXFile(string const & fn, bool tl)
 {
 	return pimpl_->loadLyXFile(fn, tl);
diff --git a/src/BufferView.h b/src/BufferView.h
index 2940d77586..f572b7d84a 100644
--- a/src/BufferView.h
+++ b/src/BufferView.h
@@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ public:
 
 	/// reload the contained buffer
 	void reload();
-	/// create a new buffer based on template
-	void newFile(std::string const & fname, std::string const & tname,
-		     bool named = true);
 	/// load a buffer into the view
 	bool loadLyXFile(std::string const & name, bool tolastfiles = true);
 
diff --git a/src/BufferView_pimpl.C b/src/BufferView_pimpl.C
index 52ac54533b..75fa06d495 100644
--- a/src/BufferView_pimpl.C
+++ b/src/BufferView_pimpl.C
@@ -232,13 +232,6 @@ void BufferView::Pimpl::disconnectBuffer()
 }
 
 
-void BufferView::Pimpl::newFile(string const & filename, string const & tname,
-	bool isNamed)
-{
-	setBuffer(::newFile(filename, tname, isNamed));
-}
-
-
 bool BufferView::Pimpl::loadLyXFile(string const & filename, bool tolastfiles)
 {
 	// Get absolute path of file and add ".lyx"
@@ -285,9 +278,11 @@ bool BufferView::Pimpl::loadLyXFile(string const & filename, bool tolastfiles)
 		int const ret = Alert::prompt(_("Create new document?"),
 			 text, 0, 1, _("&Create"), _("Cancel"));
 
-		if (ret == 0)
-			b = ::newFile(s, string(), true);
-		else
+		if (ret == 0) {
+			b = newFile(s, string(), true);
+			if (!b)
+				return false;
+		} else
 			return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/BufferView_pimpl.h b/src/BufferView_pimpl.h
index c6ac78f6f7..d69ddc3d73 100644
--- a/src/BufferView_pimpl.h
+++ b/src/BufferView_pimpl.h
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ public:
 	///
 	void update(Update::flags flags = Update::Force);
 	///
-	void newFile(std::string const &, std::string const &, bool);
-	///
 	bool loadLyXFile(std::string const &, bool);
 	///
 	void workAreaResize();
diff --git a/src/buffer_funcs.C b/src/buffer_funcs.C
index 8886920d89..0bc94fc9ff 100644
--- a/src/buffer_funcs.C
+++ b/src/buffer_funcs.C
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ Buffer * newFile(string const & filename, string const & templatename,
 			string const file = MakeDisplayPath(tname, 50);
 			string const text  = bformat(_("The specified document template\n%1$s\ncould not be read."), file);
 			Alert::error(_("Could not read template"), text);
-			// no template, start with empty buffer
+			bufferlist.release(b);
+			return 0;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/importer.C b/src/importer.C
index 672edcdc6e..a1869f81b7 100644
--- a/src/importer.C
+++ b/src/importer.C
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "frontends/Alert.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 #include "BufferView.h"
+#include "buffer_funcs.h"
 
 using lyx::support::bformat;
 using lyx::support::ChangeExtension;
@@ -71,7 +72,11 @@ bool Importer::Import(LyXView * lv, string const & filename,
 	if (loader_format == "lyx") {
 		lv->view()->loadLyXFile(lyxfile);
 	} else {
-		lv->view()->newFile(lyxfile, string(), true);
+		Buffer * const b = newFile(lyxfile, string(), true);
+		if (b)
+			lv->view()->setBuffer(b);
+		else
+			return false;
 		bool as_paragraphs = loader_format == "textparagraph";
 		string filename2 = (loader_format == format) ? filename
 			: ChangeExtension(filename,
diff --git a/src/lyx_cb.C b/src/lyx_cb.C
index a2c95a1711..3d00b76568 100644
--- a/src/lyx_cb.C
+++ b/src/lyx_cb.C
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "buffer.h"
 #include "bufferlist.h"
 #include "BufferView.h"
+#include "buffer_funcs.h"
 #include "cursor.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
@@ -351,7 +352,9 @@ void NewFile(BufferView * bv, string const & filename)
 			    << "\nName is " << name
 			    << "\nTemplate is " << tmpname << endl;
 
-	bv->newFile(name, tmpname);
+	Buffer * const b = newFile(name, tmpname);
+	if (b)
+		bv->setBuffer(b);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/lyx_main.C b/src/lyx_main.C
index c6c45fb7e8..c0cf62ad6d 100644
--- a/src/lyx_main.C
+++ b/src/lyx_main.C
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@ void LyX::exec2(int & argc, char * argv[])
 			// the filename if necessary
 			string s = FileSearch(string(), *it, "lyx");
 			if (s.empty()) {
-				last_loaded = newFile(*it, string(), true);
+				Buffer * const b = newFile(*it, string(), true);
+				if (b)
+					last_loaded = b;
 			} else {
 				Buffer * buf = bufferlist.newBuffer(s, false);
 				buf->error.connect(boost::bind(&LyX::printError, this, _1));
diff --git a/src/lyxfunc.C b/src/lyxfunc.C
index f74e23d286..23818afe73 100644
--- a/src/lyxfunc.C
+++ b/src/lyxfunc.C
@@ -1724,7 +1724,9 @@ void LyXFunc::menuNew(string const & name, bool fromTemplate)
 		templname = result.second;
 	}
 
-	view()->newFile(filename, templname, !name.empty());
+	Buffer * const b = newFile(filename, templname, !name.empty());
+	if (b)
+		view()->setBuffer(b);
 }
 
 
@@ -1778,8 +1780,10 @@ void LyXFunc::open(string const & fname)
 
 	// if the file doesn't exist, let the user create one
 	if (!fs::exists(filename)) {
-		// the user specifically chose this name. Believe them.
-		view()->newFile(filename, "", true);
+		// the user specifically chose this name. Believe him.
+		Buffer * const b = newFile(filename, string(), true);
+		if (b)
+			view()->setBuffer(b);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/status.14x b/status.14x
index 819900cea4..0326b5e54e 100644
--- a/status.14x
+++ b/status.14x
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ What's new
 
 - Fix the C-x C-b binding in emacs mode (bug 2747).
 
+- Fix a crash when a non-template file is selected in the
+  "New from Template" dialog (bug 2404)
+
 * Build/installation:
 
 - Fix 'check' make target for systems which do not have /bin/bash (bug 2524).