diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
index c3465242a..65f91732f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -121,8 +120,6 @@ func editRun(opts *EditOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("%v", files)
-
 		gist.Files = files
 		err = updateGist(apiClient, ghinstance.OverridableDefault(), gist)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -263,70 +260,22 @@ func updateGist(apiClient *api.Client, hostname string, gist *shared.Gist) error
 func getFilesToAdd(file string, opts *EditOptions) (map[string]*shared.GistFile, error) {
 	cs := opts.IO.ColorScheme()
 
-	fileExists, err := fileExists(file)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s %s", cs.Red("!"), err)
-	}
-
 	filesToAdd := map[string]*shared.GistFile{}
 
 	filename := filepath.Base(file)
 
-	if fileExists {
-		content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(file)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s failed to read file %s: %w", cs.FailureIcon(), file, err)
-		}
-
-		if string(content) == "" {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s Contents can't be empty", cs.FailureIcon())
-		}
-
-		filesToAdd[filename] = &shared.GistFile{
-			Filename: filename,
-			Content:  string(content),
-		}
-		return filesToAdd, nil
-	} else {
-		editorCommand, err := cmdutil.DetermineEditor(opts.Config)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		text, err := opts.Add(editorCommand, filename, opts.IO)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		if text == "" {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s Contents can't be empty", cs.Red("!"))
-		}
-
-		filesToAdd[filename] = &shared.GistFile{
-			Filename: filename,
-			Content:  text,
-		}
-
-		return filesToAdd, nil
-	}
-}
-
-func fileExists(filename string) (bool, error) {
-
-	fi, err := os.Stat(filename)
-
+	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(file)
 	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return false, nil
-		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s failed to read file %s: %w", cs.FailureIcon(), file, err)
 	}
 
-	switch mode := fi.Mode(); {
-	case mode.IsDir():
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("found directory %s", filename)
-	case mode.IsRegular():
-		return true, nil
+	if string(content) == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s Contents can't be empty", cs.FailureIcon())
 	}
 
-	return false, nil
+	filesToAdd[filename] = &shared.GistFile{
+		Filename: filename,
+		Content:  string(content),
+	}
+	return filesToAdd, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
index 854e4be05..c1b411a47 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
@@ -20,22 +20,8 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	fixtureFile     = "../fixture.txt"
-	nonExistentFile = "../file.txt"
 )
 
-func Test_fileExists(t *testing.T) {
-	fixtureFileExists, err := fileExists(fixtureFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected error processing files: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	assert.Equal(t, true, fixtureFileExists)
-
-	neFileExists, err := fileExists(nonExistentFile)
-	assert.Equal(t, nil, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, false, neFileExists)
-}
-
 func Test_getFilesToAdd(t *testing.T) {
 	gf, err := getFilesToAdd(fixtureFile, &EditOptions{
 		AddFilename: fixtureFile,
@@ -256,38 +242,6 @@ func Test_editRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantErr:    true,
 			wantStderr: "You do not own this gist.",
 		},
-		{
-			name: "add file to existing gist",
-			gist: &shared.Gist{
-				ID: "1234",
-				Files: map[string]*shared.GistFile{
-					"sample.txt": {
-						Filename: "sample.txt",
-						Content:  "bwhiizzzbwhuiiizzzz",
-						Type:     "text/plain",
-					},
-				},
-				Owner: &shared.GistOwner{Login: "octocat"},
-			},
-			httpStubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
-				reg.Register(httpmock.REST("POST", "gists/1234"),
-					httpmock.StatusStringResponse(201, "{}"))
-			},
-			opts: &EditOptions{
-				AddFilename: "foo.txt",
-			},
-			wantParams: map[string]interface{}{
-				"description": "",
-				"updated_at":  "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
-				"public":      false,
-				"files": map[string]interface{}{
-					"foo.txt": map[string]interface{}{
-						"content":  "new content to existing gist",
-						"filename": "foo.txt",
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
 		{
 			name: "add file to existing gist with absolute path",
 			gist: &shared.Gist{