diff --git a/packages/blitz-dom/src/document.rs b/packages/blitz-dom/src/document.rs
index 4543788bd0..b8f8020611 100644
--- a/packages/blitz-dom/src/document.rs
+++ b/packages/blitz-dom/src/document.rs
@@ -1068,6 +1068,25 @@ impl BaseDocument {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn resolve_url(&self, raw: &str) -> url::Url {
+        #[cfg(windows)]
+        {
+            let path = std::path::Path::new(raw);
+            if path.is_absolute() {
+                if let Ok(file_url) = url::Url::from_file_path(path) {
+                    return file_url;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(windows))]
+        {
+            let path = std::path::Path::new(raw);
+            if path.is_absolute() && self.url.scheme() == "file" {
+                if let Ok(file_url) = url::Url::from_file_path(path) {
+                    return file_url;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         self.url.resolve_relative(raw).unwrap_or_else(|| {
             panic!(
                 "to be able to resolve {raw} with the base_url: {:?}",
diff --git a/packages/blitz-dom/src/net.rs b/packages/blitz-dom/src/net.rs
index 0d39ca4464..6fe78289ec 100644
--- a/packages/blitz-dom/src/net.rs
+++ b/packages/blitz-dom/src/net.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use blitz_traits::node_id::NodeId;
 use selectors::context::QuirksMode;
-use std::sync::atomic::Ordering as Ao;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicUsize, Ordering as Ao};
 use std::{
     io::Cursor,
-    sync::{Arc, atomic::AtomicUsize, mpsc::Sender},
+    sync::{Arc, mpsc::Sender},
 };
 use style::{
     font_face::{FontFaceSourceFormat, FontFaceSourceFormatKeyword, FontStyleRange, Source},
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ResourceHandler<T: Send + Sync + 'static> {
     tx: Sender<DocumentEvent>,
     shell_provider: Arc<dyn ShellProvider>,
     data: T,
+    responded: AtomicBool,
 }
 
 impl<T: Send + Sync + 'static> ResourceHandler<T> {
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ impl<T: Send + Sync + 'static> ResourceHandler<T> {
             tx,
             shell_provider,
             data,
+            responded: AtomicBool::new(false),
         }
     }
 
@@ -114,6 +116,9 @@ impl<T: Send + Sync + 'static> ResourceHandler<T> {
     }
 
     fn respond(&self, resolved_url: String, result: Result<Resource, String>) {
+        if self.responded.swap(true, Ao::SeqCst) {
+            return;
+        }
         let response = ResourceLoadResponse {
             request_id: self.request_id,
             node_id: self.node_id,
@@ -125,6 +130,21 @@ impl<T: Send + Sync + 'static> ResourceHandler<T> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<T: Send + Sync + 'static> Drop for ResourceHandler<T> {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if !self.responded.swap(true, Ao::SeqCst) {
+            let response = ResourceLoadResponse {
+                request_id: self.request_id,
+                node_id: self.node_id,
+                resolved_url: None,
+                result: Err(String::from("Resource handler dropped without response")),
+            };
+            let _ = self.tx.send(DocumentEvent::ResourceLoad(response));
+            self.shell_provider.request_redraw();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[allow(unused)]
 pub struct ResourceLoadResponse {
     pub request_id: usize,
@@ -643,4 +663,42 @@ mod tests {
             Fq::Oblique(Some(10.0)),
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dropped_handler_emits_error_response() {
+        let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        let shell = Arc::new(blitz_traits::shell::DummyShellProvider);
+        let handler = ResourceHandler::new(tx, 0, None, shell, ());
+        let req_id = handler.request_id();
+        drop(handler);
+
+        let event = rx.try_recv().expect("drop should emit an event");
+        match event {
+            DocumentEvent::ResourceLoad(res) => {
+                assert_eq!(res.request_id, req_id);
+                assert!(res.result.is_err());
+            }
+            _ => panic!("unexpected event"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn responded_handler_does_not_emit_on_drop() {
+        let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        let shell = Arc::new(blitz_traits::shell::DummyShellProvider);
+        let handler = ResourceHandler::new(tx, 0, None, shell, ());
+        let req_id = handler.request_id();
+        handler.respond("test".into(), Ok(Resource::None));
+        drop(handler);
+
+        let event = rx.try_recv().expect("respond should emit an event");
+        match event {
+            DocumentEvent::ResourceLoad(res) => {
+                assert_eq!(res.request_id, req_id);
+                assert!(res.result.is_ok());
+            }
+            _ => panic!("unexpected event"),
+        }
+        assert!(rx.try_recv().is_err(), "should not emit duplicate event on drop");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/packages/blitz-net/src/lib.rs b/packages/blitz-net/src/lib.rs
index 49bbb4c7a8..377e7b24eb 100644
--- a/packages/blitz-net/src/lib.rs
+++ b/packages/blitz-net/src/lib.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,11 @@ impl Provider {
                 Ok((request.url.to_string(), Bytes::from(decoded.0)))
             }
             "file" => {
-                let file_content = std::fs::read(request.url.path())?;
+                let file_path = request
+                    .url
+                    .to_file_path()
+                    .map_err(|()| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "invalid file url"))?;
+                let file_content = std::fs::read(file_path)?;
                 Ok((request.url.to_string(), Bytes::from(file_content)))
             }
             _ => Self::fetch_http(client, request, per_host_limits).await,