diff --git a/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c b/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
index 82c9a1da67a983..f5cac823150d2f 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/private/helpers.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "nvim/version.h"
 #include "nvim/lib/kvec.h"
 #include "nvim/getchar.h"
+#include "nvim/fileio.h"
 #include "nvim/ui.h"
 
 /// Helper structure for vim_to_object
@@ -1094,7 +1095,7 @@ static void set_option_value_for(char *key,
 {
   win_T *save_curwin = NULL;
   tabpage_T *save_curtab = NULL;
-  bufref_T save_curbuf =  { NULL, 0, 0 };
+  aco_save_T aco;
 
   try_start();
   switch (opt_type)
@@ -1115,9 +1116,9 @@ static void set_option_value_for(char *key,
       restore_win(save_curwin, save_curtab, true);
       break;
     case SREQ_BUF:
-      switch_buffer(&save_curbuf, (buf_T *)from);
+      aucmd_prepbuf(&aco, (buf_T *)from);
       set_option_value_err(key, numval, stringval, opt_flags, err);
-      restore_buffer(&save_curbuf);
+      aucmd_restbuf(&aco);
       break;
     case SREQ_GLOBAL:
       set_option_value_err(key, numval, stringval, opt_flags, err);
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index 5b59ff39f4e617..86e243c4f0749e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -955,6 +955,25 @@ void nvim_set_current_win(Window window, Error *err)
   }
 }
 
+/// Create new empty buffer
+///
+/// @param listed whether the buffer should be listed
+/// @param[out] err Error details, if any
+/// @return the buffer handle or 0 when error
+Buffer nvim_create_buf(Boolean listed, Error *err)
+  FUNC_API_SINCE(6)
+{
+  try_start();
+  Buffer buffer = buflist_add(NULL,
+                              BLN_NOOPT | BLN_NEW | (listed ? BLN_LISTED : 0));
+  if (!try_end(err) && buffer == 0) {
+    api_set_error(err,
+                  kErrorTypeException,
+                  "Failed to create buffer");
+  }
+  return buffer;
+}
+
 /// Gets the current list of tabpage handles.
 ///
 /// @return List of tabpage handles
diff --git a/src/nvim/buffer.c b/src/nvim/buffer.c
index 802eba06a54a01..7fd43269142643 100644
--- a/src/nvim/buffer.c
+++ b/src/nvim/buffer.c
@@ -1629,7 +1629,7 @@ buf_T * buflist_new(char_u *ffname, char_u *sfname, linenr_T lnum, int flags)
   FileID file_id;
   bool file_id_valid = (sfname != NULL
                         && os_fileid((char *)sfname, &file_id));
-  if (ffname != NULL && !(flags & BLN_DUMMY)
+  if (ffname != NULL && !(flags & (BLN_DUMMY | BLN_NEW))
       && (buf = buflist_findname_file_id(ffname, &file_id,
                                          file_id_valid)) != NULL) {
     xfree(ffname);
diff --git a/src/nvim/buffer.h b/src/nvim/buffer.h
index e61c312fb1a7a0..79bed049ea8f35 100644
--- a/src/nvim/buffer.h
+++ b/src/nvim/buffer.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ enum bln_values {
   BLN_CURBUF = 1,   // May re-use curbuf for new buffer
   BLN_LISTED = 2,   // Put new buffer in buffer list
   BLN_DUMMY  = 4,   // Allocating dummy buffer
-  // TODO(mhinz): merge patch that introduces BLN_NEW
+  BLN_NEW    = 8,   // create a new buffer
   BLN_NOOPT  = 16,  // Don't copy options to existing buffer
 };
 
diff --git a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
index 415eaf3cbc8159..5c0fb8f88d7c41 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
@@ -1308,4 +1308,41 @@ describe('API', function()
       eq({["ns-1"]=1, ["ns-2"]=2}, meths.get_namespaces())
     end)
   end)
+
+  describe('nvim_create_buf', function()
+    it('works', function()
+      eq({id=2}, meths.create_buf(true))
+      eq({id=3}, meths.create_buf(false))
+      eq('  1 %a   "[No Name]"                    line 1\n'..
+         '  2      "[No Name]"                    line 0',
+         meths.command_output("ls"))
+      -- current buffer didn't change
+      eq({id=1}, meths.get_current_buf())
+
+      local screen = Screen.new(20, 4)
+      screen:attach()
+      meths.buf_set_lines(2, 0, -1, true, {"some text"})
+      meths.set_current_buf(2)
+      screen:expect([[
+        ^some text           |
+        {1:~                   }|
+        {1:~                   }|
+                            |
+      ]], {
+        [1] = {bold = true, foreground = Screen.colors.Blue1},
+      })
+    end)
+
+    it('can change buftype before visiting', function()
+      meths.set_option("hidden", false)
+      eq({id=2}, meths.create_buf(true))
+      meths.buf_set_option(2, "buftype", "nofile")
+      meths.buf_set_lines(2, 0, -1, true, {"test text"})
+      command("split | buffer 2")
+      eq({id=2}, meths.get_current_buf())
+      -- if the buf_set_option("buftype") didn't work, this would error out.
+      command("close")
+      eq({id=1}, meths.get_current_buf())
+    end)
+  end)
 end)