diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/editor/mod.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/editor/mod.rs
index cc0d92c5b5..6becc2175b 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/editor/mod.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/editor/mod.rs
@@ -1334,18 +1334,58 @@ impl Editor {
 /// Backwards-compat shim for the old `open_file` API. The new API
 /// is to construct an [`Editor`] directly via [`Editor::open`].
 pub fn open_file(file: &str, line: Option<u64>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    use crate::terminal::event::translate_key;
+    use crate::terminal::color::DEFAULT_THEME;
+    use termion::event::Event as TermEvent;
+    use termion::input::TermReadEventsAndRaw;
+
     let mut ed = Editor::open(file);
     if let Some(n) = line {
-        // Move cursor to the start of line `n` (1-based).
         let target = n.saturating_sub(1) as usize;
         if target < ed.buffer.line_count() {
             let off = ed.buffer.line_offset(target);
             ed.cursor.set_position(off, &ed.buffer);
         }
     }
-    // No TTY to render to here; just return Ok so callers that just
-    // want to verify the path can do so.
-    let _ = ed;
+
+    let mut tui = crate::terminal::Tui::new()?;
+    let stdin = std::io::stdin();
+    let mut events = stdin.lock().events_and_raw();
+
+    loop {
+        let (w, h) = tui.size();
+        if w >= 10 && h >= 5 {
+            let area = ratatui::layout::Rect::new(0, 0, w, h);
+            tui.draw(|frame| {
+                ed.render(frame, area, &DEFAULT_THEME);
+            })?;
+        }
+
+        let (event, _) = match events.next() {
+            Some(Ok(pair)) => pair,
+            Some(Err(_)) => continue,
+            None => break,
+        };
+        let tk = match event {
+            TermEvent::Key(k) => k,
+            _ => continue,
+        };
+        let key = translate_key(tk);
+
+        match ed.handle_key(key) {
+            EditorResult::Running => {}
+            EditorResult::Save => {
+                let _ = ed.save();
+            }
+            EditorResult::Close => break,
+            EditorResult::SaveThenClose => {
+                let _ = ed.save();
+                break;
+            }
+            EditorResult::DiscardThenClose => break,
+        }
+    }
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
index 7ccd06a47b..57a3141c79 100644
--- a/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
+++ b/local/recipes/tui/tlc/source/src/viewer/mod.rs
@@ -438,8 +438,42 @@ impl Viewer {
 
 /// Backwards-compat shim: `open_file` was the Phase 0 stub.
 pub fn open_file(file: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let mut _v = Viewer::open(file)?;
-    // Phase 3.2 will implement the actual TUI render loop.
+    use crate::terminal::event::translate_key;
+    use crate::terminal::color::DEFAULT_THEME;
+    use termion::event::Event as TermEvent;
+    use termion::input::TermReadEventsAndRaw;
+
+    let mut v = Viewer::open(file)?;
+
+    let mut tui = crate::terminal::Tui::new()?;
+    let stdin = std::io::stdin();
+    let mut events = stdin.lock().events_and_raw();
+
+    loop {
+        let (w, h) = tui.size();
+        if w >= 10 && h >= 5 {
+            let area = ratatui::layout::Rect::new(0, 0, w, h);
+            tui.draw(|frame| {
+                v.render(frame, area, &DEFAULT_THEME);
+            })?;
+        }
+
+        let (event, _) = match events.next() {
+            Some(Ok(pair)) => pair,
+            Some(Err(_)) => continue,
+            None => break,
+        };
+        let tk = match event {
+            TermEvent::Key(k) => k,
+            _ => continue,
+        };
+        let key = translate_key(tk);
+
+        if v.handle_key(key) {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
     Ok(())
 }