diff --git a/yazi-adapter/src/emulator.rs b/yazi-adapter/src/emulator.rs
index 73908dc8..9e449527 100644
--- a/yazi-adapter/src/emulator.rs
+++ b/yazi-adapter/src/emulator.rs
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ impl Emulator {
 					bail!("unexpected EOF");
 				}
 				buf.push(c[0]);
-				if c[0] != b'c' || !buf.contains(&b'\x1b') {
+				if c[0] != b'c' || !buf.contains(&0x1b) {
 					continue;
 				}
-				if buf.rsplitn(2, |&b| b == b'\x1b').next().is_some_and(|s| s.starts_with(b"[?")) {
+				if buf.rsplitn(2, |&b| b == 0x1b).next().is_some_and(|s| s.starts_with(b"[?")) {
 					break;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/yazi-fm/src/input/input.rs b/yazi-fm/src/input/input.rs
index f4ad39cf..9500c221 100644
--- a/yazi-fm/src/input/input.rs
+++ b/yazi-fm/src/input/input.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ impl<'a> Input<'a> {
 			bail!("Highlighting is disabled");
 		}
 
-		let (theme, syntaxes) = Highlighter::init();
+		let (theme, syntaxes) = futures::executor::block_on(Highlighter::init());
 		if let Some(syntax) = syntaxes.find_syntax_by_name("Bourne Again Shell (bash)") {
 			let mut h = HighlightLines::new(syntax, theme);
 			let regions = h.highlight_line(self.cx.input.value(), syntaxes)?;
diff --git a/yazi-plugin/src/external/highlighter.rs b/yazi-plugin/src/external/highlighter.rs
index 4b99777d..59b0d6cd 100644
--- a/yazi-plugin/src/external/highlighter.rs
+++ b/yazi-plugin/src/external/highlighter.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
-use std::{io::Cursor, mem, path::{Path, PathBuf}, sync::{atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering}, OnceLock}};
+use std::{io::Cursor, mem, path::{Path, PathBuf}, sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering}};
 
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
 use ratatui::text::{Line, Span, Text};
-use syntect::{dumps, easy::HighlightLines, highlighting::{self, Theme, ThemeSet}, parsing::{SyntaxReference, SyntaxSet}};
-use tokio::{fs::File, io::{AsyncBufReadExt, BufReader}};
+use syntect::{dumps, easy::HighlightLines, highlighting::{self, Theme, ThemeSet}, parsing::{SyntaxReference, SyntaxSet}, LoadingError};
+use tokio::{fs::File, io::{AsyncBufReadExt, BufReader}, sync::OnceCell};
 use yazi_config::{PREVIEW, THEME};
 use yazi_shared::PeekError;
 
 static INCR: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
-static SYNTECT_SYNTAX: OnceLock<SyntaxSet> = OnceLock::new();
-static SYNTECT_THEME: OnceLock<Theme> = OnceLock::new();
+static SYNTECT: OnceCell<(Theme, SyntaxSet)> = OnceCell::const_new();
 
 pub struct Highlighter {
 	path: PathBuf,
@@ -19,27 +18,28 @@ impl Highlighter {
 	#[inline]
 	pub fn new(path: &Path) -> Self { Self { path: path.to_owned() } }
 
-	pub fn init() -> (&'static Theme, &'static SyntaxSet) {
-		#[inline]
-		fn from_file() -> Result<Theme> {
-			let file = std::fs::File::open(&THEME.manager.syntect_theme)?;
-			Ok(ThemeSet::load_from_reader(&mut std::io::BufReader::new(file))?)
-		}
+	pub async fn init() -> (&'static Theme, &'static SyntaxSet) {
+		let fut = async {
+			tokio::task::spawn_blocking(|| {
+				let theme = std::fs::File::open(&THEME.manager.syntect_theme)
+					.map_err(LoadingError::Io)
+					.and_then(|f| ThemeSet::load_from_reader(&mut std::io::BufReader::new(f)))
+					.or_else(|_| ThemeSet::load_from_reader(&mut Cursor::new(yazi_prebuild::ansi_theme())));
 
-		let theme = SYNTECT_THEME.get_or_init(|| {
-			from_file().unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-				ThemeSet::load_from_reader(&mut Cursor::new(yazi_prebuild::ansi_theme())).unwrap()
+				let syntaxes = dumps::from_uncompressed_data(yazi_prebuild::syntaxes());
+
+				(theme.unwrap(), syntaxes.unwrap())
 			})
-		});
+			.await
+			.unwrap()
+		};
 
-		let syntaxes = SYNTECT_SYNTAX
-			.get_or_init(|| dumps::from_uncompressed_data(yazi_prebuild::syntaxes()).unwrap());
-
-		(theme, syntaxes)
+		let r = SYNTECT.get_or_init(|| fut).await;
+		(&r.0, &r.1)
 	}
 
 	async fn find_syntax(path: &Path) -> Result<&'static SyntaxReference> {
-		let (_, syntaxes) = Self::init();
+		let (_, syntaxes) = Self::init().await;
 		let name = path.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy()).unwrap_or_default();
 		if let Some(s) = syntaxes.find_syntax_by_extension(&name) {
 			return Ok(s);
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ impl Highlighter {
 				break;
 			}
 
-			if !plain && buf.len() > 6000 {
+			if !plain && (buf.len() > 5000 || buf.contains(&0x1b)) {
 				plain = true;
 				drop(mem::take(&mut before));
 			}
@@ -84,20 +84,6 @@ impl Highlighter {
 				buf.push(b'\n');
 			}
 
-			let esc_count = buf.iter().filter(|&&b| b == 27).count();
-			if esc_count > 0 {
-				plain = true;
-				drop(mem::take(&mut before));
-				buf = buf.iter().fold(Vec::with_capacity(buf.len() + esc_count), |mut acc, &b| {
-					if b == 27 {
-						acc.extend_from_slice(b"^[");
-					} else {
-						acc.push(b);
-					}
-					acc
-				})
-			}
-
 			if i > skip {
 				after.push(String::from_utf8_lossy(&buf).into_owned());
 			} else if !plain {
@@ -112,7 +98,7 @@ impl Highlighter {
 
 		if plain {
 			let indent = " ".repeat(PREVIEW.tab_size as usize);
-			Ok(Text::from(after.join("").replace('\t', &indent)))
+			Ok(Text::from(after.join("").replace('\x1b', "^[").replace('\t', &indent)))
 		} else {
 			Self::highlight_with(before, after, syntax.unwrap()).await
 		}
@@ -124,11 +110,10 @@ impl Highlighter {
 		syntax: &'static SyntaxReference,
 	) -> Result<Text<'static>, PeekError> {
 		let ticket = INCR.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+		let (theme, syntaxes) = Self::init().await;
 
 		tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
-			let (theme, syntaxes) = Self::init();
 			let mut h = HighlightLines::new(syntax, theme);
-
 			for line in before {
 				if ticket != INCR.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
 					return Err("Highlighting cancelled".into());