diff --git a/client/components/Nav.jsx b/client/components/Nav.jsx
index b729cca9..8660f2bc 100644
--- a/client/components/Nav.jsx
+++ b/client/components/Nav.jsx
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class Nav extends React.PureComponent {
                 <button
                   onClick={() => {
                     if (this.props.user.authenticated) {
-                      this.props.saveProject();
+                      this.props.saveProject(this.props.cmController.getContent());
                     } else {
                       this.props.showErrorModal('forceAuthentication');
                     }
@@ -585,7 +585,8 @@ Nav.propTypes = {
     tidyCode: PropTypes.func,
     showFind: PropTypes.func,
     findNext: PropTypes.func,
-    findPrev: PropTypes.func
+    findPrev: PropTypes.func,
+    getContent: PropTypes.func
   }),
   startSketch: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   stopSketch: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js b/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
index c488deb3..df930712 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export function clearPersistedState() {
   };
 }
 
-export function saveProject(autosave = false) {
+export function saveProject(selectedFile = null, autosave = false) {
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
     const state = getState();
     if (state.user.id && state.project.owner && state.project.owner.id !== state.user.id) {
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ export function saveProject(autosave = false) {
     }
     const formParams = Object.assign({}, state.project);
     formParams.files = [...state.files];
+    if (selectedFile) {
+      console.log('selected file being updated');
+      const fileToUpdate = formParams.files.find(file => file.id === selectedFile.id);
+      fileToUpdate.content = selectedFile.content;
+    }
     if (state.project.id) {
       return axios.put(`${ROOT_URL}/projects/${state.project.id}`, formParams, { withCredentials: true })
         .then((response) => {
@@ -156,7 +161,7 @@ export function saveProject(autosave = false) {
 
 export function autosaveProject() {
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
-    saveProject(true)(dispatch, getState);
+    saveProject(null, true)(dispatch, getState);
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/Editor.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/components/Editor.jsx
index 57c698a1..572eb163 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/Editor.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/Editor.jsx
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class Editor extends React.Component {
     this.showFind = this.showFind.bind(this);
     this.findNext = this.findNext.bind(this);
     this.findPrev = this.findPrev.bind(this);
+    this.getContent = this.getContent.bind(this);
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -144,7 +145,8 @@ class Editor extends React.Component {
       tidyCode: this.tidyCode,
       showFind: this.showFind,
       findNext: this.findNext,
-      findPrev: this.findPrev
+      findPrev: this.findPrev,
+      getContent: this.getContent
     });
   }
 
@@ -230,13 +232,24 @@ class Editor extends React.Component {
     return mode;
   }
 
-  initializeDocuments(files) {
-    this._docs = {};
-    files.forEach((file) => {
-      if (file.name !== 'root') {
-        this._docs[file.id] = CodeMirror.Doc(file.content, this.getFileMode(file.name)); // eslint-disable-line
-      }
-    });
+  getContent() {
+    const content = this._cm.getValue();
+    const updatedFile = Object.assign({}, this.props.file, { content });
+    return updatedFile;
+  }
+
+  findPrev() {
+    this._cm.focus();
+    this._cm.execCommand('findPrev');
+  }
+
+  findNext() {
+    this._cm.focus();
+    this._cm.execCommand('findNext');
+  }
+
+  showFind() {
+    this._cm.execCommand('findPersistent');
   }
 
   tidyCode() {
@@ -255,18 +268,13 @@ class Editor extends React.Component {
     }
   }
 
-  showFind() {
-    this._cm.execCommand('findPersistent');
-  }
-
-  findNext() {
-    this._cm.focus();
-    this._cm.execCommand('findNext');
-  }
-
-  findPrev() {
-    this._cm.focus();
-    this._cm.execCommand('findPrev');
+  initializeDocuments(files) {
+    this._docs = {};
+    files.forEach((file) => {
+      if (file.name !== 'root') {
+        this._docs[file.id] = CodeMirror.Doc(file.content, this.getFileMode(file.name)); // eslint-disable-line
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   toggleEditorOptions() {
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.jsx b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.jsx
index 0485fa0a..d2de83e2 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.jsx
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.jsx
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class IDEView extends React.Component {
       e.preventDefault();
       e.stopPropagation();
       if (this.isUserOwner() || (this.props.user.authenticated && !this.props.project.owner)) {
-        this.props.saveProject();
+        this.props.saveProject(this.cmController.getContent());
       } else if (this.props.user.authenticated) {
         this.props.cloneProject();
       } else {