diff --git a/datamodel/low/v3/create_document.go b/datamodel/low/v3/create_document.go
index 05c1085..3ccd649 100644
--- a/datamodel/low/v3/create_document.go
+++ b/datamodel/low/v3/create_document.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func createDocument(info *datamodel.SpecInfo, config *datamodel.DocumentConfigur
 	}
 	// check for circular references
 	if config.Logger != nil {
-		config.Logger.Debug("indexing rolodex")
+		config.Logger.Debug("checking for circular references")
 	}
 	now = time.Now()
 	if !config.SkipCircularReferenceCheck {
diff --git a/index/find_component.go b/index/find_component.go
index d553d80..1bb68e0 100644
--- a/index/find_component.go
+++ b/index/find_component.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func FindComponent(root *yaml.Node, componentId, absoluteFilePath string, index
 		friendlySearch = "$"
 	}
 	path, err := yamlpath.NewPath(friendlySearch)
-	if path == nil || err != nil {
+	if path == nil || err != nil || root == nil {
 		return nil // no component found
 	}
 	res, _ := path.Find(root)
diff --git a/index/rolodex_file_loader.go b/index/rolodex_file_loader.go
index 5b1365b..0953f44 100644
--- a/index/rolodex_file_loader.go
+++ b/index/rolodex_file_loader.go
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ func (l *LocalFS) Open(name string) (fs.File, error) {
 			extractedFile, extErr = l.extractFile(name)
 			if extErr != nil {
 				l.processingFiles.Delete(name)
+				processingWaiter.done = true
 				return nil, extErr
 			}
 			if extractedFile != nil {
@@ -152,6 +153,10 @@ func (l *LocalFS) Open(name string) (fs.File, error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	waiter, _ := l.processingFiles.Load(name)
+	if waiter != nil {
+		waiter.(*waiterLocal).done = true
+	}
 	l.processingFiles.Delete(name)
 	return nil, &fs.PathError{Op: "open", Path: name, Err: fs.ErrNotExist}
 }
diff --git a/index/rolodex_remote_loader.go b/index/rolodex_remote_loader.go
index 11f3979..eed2c59 100644
--- a/index/rolodex_remote_loader.go
+++ b/index/rolodex_remote_loader.go
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ func (i *RemoteFS) Open(remoteURL string) (fs.File, error) {
 			"AllowRemoteLookup to true as part of the index configuration", remoteURL)
 	}
 
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(remoteURL, "http") {
+		i.logger.Debug("[rolodex remote loader] not a remote file, ignoring", "file", remoteURL)
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
 	remoteParsedURL, err := url.Parse(remoteURL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -306,6 +311,7 @@ func (i *RemoteFS) Open(remoteURL string) (fs.File, error) {
 			"remoteURL", remoteParsedURL.String())
 
 		for !wait.done {
+			i.logger.Debug("[rolodex remote loader] sleeping, waiting for file to return", "file", remoteURL)
 			time.Sleep(500 * time.Nanosecond) // breathe for a few nanoseconds.
 		}