diff --git a/vortex-file/public-api.lock b/vortex-file/public-api.lock
index fa9c5175a85..fc73045c63e 100644
--- a/vortex-file/public-api.lock
+++ b/vortex-file/public-api.lock
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ impl core::fmt::Debug for vortex_file::SegmentSpec
 
 pub fn vortex_file::SegmentSpec::fmt(&self, f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> core::fmt::Result
 
+impl core::marker::Copy for vortex_file::SegmentSpec
+
 pub struct vortex_file::VortexFile
 
 impl vortex_file::VortexFile
diff --git a/vortex-file/src/footer/segment.rs b/vortex-file/src/footer/segment.rs
index 7872116404b..8dcb7d1802b 100644
--- a/vortex-file/src/footer/segment.rs
+++ b/vortex-file/src/footer/segment.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use vortex_flatbuffers::footer as fb;
 ///
 /// A segment is a contiguous block of bytes in a file that contains a part of the file's data.
 /// The `SegmentSpec` struct specifies the location and properties of a segment.
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
 pub struct SegmentSpec {
     /// The byte offset of the segment from the start of the file.
     pub offset: u64,
diff --git a/vortex-file/src/open.rs b/vortex-file/src/open.rs
index 8ed8c6645ec..ac8fdd83097 100644
--- a/vortex-file/src/open.rs
+++ b/vortex-file/src/open.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ use crate::EOF_SIZE;
 use crate::MAX_POSTSCRIPT_SIZE;
 use crate::VortexFile;
 use crate::footer::Footer;
+use crate::segments::BufferSegmentSource;
 use crate::segments::FileSegmentSource;
 use crate::segments::InitialReadSegmentCache;
 use crate::segments::RequestMetrics;
@@ -161,9 +162,36 @@ impl VortexOpenOptions {
     }
 
     /// Open a Vortex file from an in-memory buffer.
+    ///
+    /// This uses a `BufferSegmentSource` that resolves segments synchronously
+    /// by slicing the buffer directly, bypassing the async I/O pipeline.
     pub fn open_buffer<B: Into<ByteBuffer>>(self, buffer: B) -> VortexResult<VortexFile> {
-        // We know this is in memory, so we can open it synchronously.
-        block_on(self.with_initial_read_size(0).open_read(buffer.into()))
+        let buffer: ByteBuffer = buffer.into();
+
+        if self.segment_cache.is_some() {
+            tracing::warn!("segment cache is ignored for in-memory `open_buffer`");
+        }
+        if self.metrics_registry.is_some() {
+            tracing::warn!("metrics registry is ignored for in-memory `open_buffer`");
+        }
+
+        let mut opts = self.with_initial_read_size(0);
+
+        let footer = match opts.footer.take() {
+            Some(footer) => footer,
+            None => block_on(opts.read_footer(&buffer))?,
+        };
+
+        let segment_source = Arc::new(BufferSegmentSource::new(
+            buffer,
+            footer.segment_map().clone(),
+        ));
+
+        Ok(VortexFile {
+            footer,
+            segment_source,
+            session: opts.session,
+        })
     }
 
     /// An API for opening a [`VortexFile`] using any [`VortexReadAt`] implementation.
diff --git a/vortex-file/src/segments/source.rs b/vortex-file/src/segments/source.rs
index b981e1d5afa..c27d9e2f944 100644
--- a/vortex-file/src/segments/source.rs
+++ b/vortex-file/src/segments/source.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use futures::channel::mpsc;
 use futures::future;
 use vortex_array::buffer::BufferHandle;
 use vortex_buffer::Alignment;
+use vortex_buffer::ByteBuffer;
 use vortex_error::VortexResult;
 use vortex_error::vortex_err;
 use vortex_error::vortex_panic;
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ impl SegmentSource for FileSegmentSource {
     fn request(&self, id: SegmentId) -> SegmentFuture {
         // We eagerly register the read request here assuming the behaviour of [`FileRead`], where
         // coalescing becomes effective prior to the future being polled.
-        let spec = match self.segments.get(*id as usize).cloned() {
+        let spec = *match self.segments.get(*id as usize) {
             Some(spec) => spec,
             None => {
                 return future::ready(Err(vortex_err!("Missing segment: {}", id))).boxed();
@@ -251,3 +252,46 @@ impl RequestMetrics {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// A [`SegmentSource`] that resolves segments synchronously from an
+/// in-memory [`ByteBuffer`].
+///
+/// Resolves segments synchronously, bypassing the async I/O pipeline.
+pub(crate) struct BufferSegmentSource {
+    buffer: ByteBuffer,
+    segments: Arc<[SegmentSpec]>,
+}
+
+impl BufferSegmentSource {
+    /// Create a new `BufferSegmentSource` from a buffer and its segment map.
+    pub fn new(buffer: ByteBuffer, segments: Arc<[SegmentSpec]>) -> Self {
+        Self { buffer, segments }
+    }
+}
+
+impl SegmentSource for BufferSegmentSource {
+    fn request(&self, id: SegmentId) -> SegmentFuture {
+        let spec = match self.segments.get(*id as usize) {
+            Some(spec) => spec,
+            None => {
+                return future::ready(Err(vortex_err!("Missing segment: {}", id))).boxed();
+            }
+        };
+
+        let start = spec.offset as usize;
+        let end = start + spec.length as usize;
+        if end > self.buffer.len() {
+            return future::ready(Err(vortex_err!(
+                "Segment {} range {}..{} out of bounds for buffer of length {}",
+                *id,
+                start,
+                end,
+                self.buffer.len()
+            )))
+            .boxed();
+        }
+
+        let slice = self.buffer.slice(start..end).aligned(spec.alignment);
+        future::ready(Ok(BufferHandle::new_host(slice))).boxed()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/vortex-tui/src/segment_tree.rs b/vortex-tui/src/segment_tree.rs
index ba8d3f16a6e..fd88650f2fd 100644
--- a/vortex-tui/src/segment_tree.rs
+++ b/vortex-tui/src/segment_tree.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ fn segments_by_name_impl(
         .or_default();
 
     for segment_id in root.segment_ids() {
-        let segment_spec = segments[*segment_id as usize].clone();
+        let segment_spec = segments[*segment_id as usize];
         current_segments.push(SegmentDisplay {
             name: name.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| "<unnamed>".into()),
             spec: segment_spec,