diff --git a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/find.lua b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/find.lua
index bd767082..23f90006 100644
--- a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/find.lua
+++ b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/find.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ local ffi = require('ffi')
 
 -- TODO: remember cached directories
 return function(directory, options)
+  local finder = {}
+  -- Use a thunk to avoid cost of fallback scanning until actually needed.
+  finder.fallback = (
+    (function(d, o)
+      return function()
+        finder.fallback = require('wincent.commandt.private.finders.file')(d ~= '' and d or '.', o)
+        return finder.fallback
+      end
+    end)(directory, options)
+  )
   if vim.startswith(directory, './') then
     directory = directory:sub(3, -1)
   end
@@ -12,7 +22,6 @@ return function(directory, options)
     directory = vim.fn.shellescape(directory)
   end
   local lib = require('wincent.commandt.private.lib')
-  local finder = {}
   finder.scanner = require('wincent.commandt.private.scanners.find').scanner(directory)
   finder.matcher = lib.matcher_new(finder.scanner, options)
   finder.run = function(query)
diff --git a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/git.lua b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/git.lua
index c302c49c..ed6453fb 100644
--- a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/git.lua
+++ b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/git.lua
@@ -7,11 +7,20 @@ local ffi = require('ffi')
 -- the `command` scanner
 -- TODO: remember cached directories
 return function(directory, options)
+  local finder = {}
+  -- Use a thunk to avoid cost of fallback scanning until actually needed.
+  finder.fallback = (
+    (function(d, o)
+      return function()
+        finder.fallback = require('wincent.commandt.private.finders.file')(d ~= '' and d or '.', o)
+        return finder.fallback
+      end
+    end)(directory, options)
+  )
   if directory ~= '' then
     directory = vim.fn.shellescape(directory)
   end
   local lib = require('wincent.commandt.private.lib')
-  local finder = {}
   finder.scanner = require('wincent.commandt.private.scanners.git').scanner(directory, options.scanners.git)
   finder.matcher = lib.matcher_new(finder.scanner, options)
   finder.run = function(query)
diff --git a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/rg.lua b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/rg.lua
index 2bf0de96..1523584e 100644
--- a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/rg.lua
+++ b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/finders/rg.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ local ffi = require('ffi')
 
 -- TODO: remember cached directories
 return function(directory, options)
+  local finder = {}
+  -- Use a thunk to avoid cost of fallback scanning until actually needed.
+  finder.fallback = (
+    (function(d, o)
+      return function()
+        finder.fallback = require('wincent.commandt.private.finders.file')(d ~= '' and d or '.', o)
+        return finder.fallback
+      end
+    end)(directory, options)
+  )
   if vim.startswith(directory, './') then
     directory = directory:sub(3, -1)
   end
@@ -12,7 +22,6 @@ return function(directory, options)
     directory = vim.fn.shellescape(directory)
   end
   local lib = require('wincent.commandt.private.lib')
-  local finder = {}
   finder.scanner = require('wincent.commandt.private.scanners.rg').scanner(directory)
   finder.matcher = lib.matcher_new(finder.scanner, options)
   finder.run = function(query)
diff --git a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/ui.lua b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/ui.lua
index 9a8a4dab..31c61523 100644
--- a/lua/wincent/commandt/private/ui.lua
+++ b/lua/wincent/commandt/private/ui.lua
@@ -94,7 +94,14 @@ ui.show = function(finder, options)
     margin = options.margin,
     name = options.name,
     on_change = function(query)
-      results = finder.run(query)
+      results = current_finder.run(query)
+      if #results > 0 then
+        -- Once we've proved a finder works, we don't ever want to use fallback.
+        current_finder.fallback = nil
+      elseif current_finder.fallback then
+        current_finder = current_finder.fallback()
+        results = current_finder.run(query)
+      end
       if #results == 0 then
         selected = nil
       else