diff --git a/stream/stream.h b/stream/stream.h
index 0f028e330d..28f9936fce 100644
--- a/stream/stream.h
+++ b/stream/stream.h
@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ void mp_cancel_reset(struct mp_cancel *c);
 
 // stream_file.c
 char *mp_file_url_to_filename(void *talloc_ctx, bstr url);
+char *mp_file_get_path(void *talloc_ctx, bstr url);
 
 void stream_print_proto_list(struct mp_log *log);
 
diff --git a/stream/stream_dvd.c b/stream/stream_dvd.c
index 857d144a65..eb055abc13 100644
--- a/stream/stream_dvd.c
+++ b/stream/stream_dvd.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include <dvdread/ifo_read.h>
 #include <dvdread/nav_read.h>
 
+#include "osdep/io.h"
+
 #include "config.h"
 #include "talloc.h"
 #include "common/common.h"
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "stream.h"
 #include "options/m_option.h"
 #include "options/options.h"
+#include "options/path.h"
 
 #include "stream_dvd_common.h"
 
@@ -913,38 +916,37 @@ fail:
   return STREAM_UNSUPPORTED;
 }
 
-static int ifo_stream_open (stream_t *stream)
+static int ifo_stream_open(stream_t *stream)
 {
-    char* filename;
     dvd_priv_t *priv = talloc_ptrtype(stream, priv);
     stream->priv = priv;
     *priv = stream_priv_dflts;
 
-    // "file://" prefix -> decode URL-style escapes
-    if (strlen(stream->url) > strlen(stream->path))
-        mp_url_unescape_inplace(stream->path);
+    char *path = mp_file_get_path(priv, bstr0(stream->url));
+    if (!path)
+        goto unsupported;
 
-    int len = strlen(stream->path);
-    if (len < 4 || strcasecmp (stream->path + len - 4, ".ifo"))
-        return STREAM_UNSUPPORTED;
+    if (!dvd_probe(path, ".ifo", "DVDVIDEO-VTS"))
+        goto unsupported;
 
-    MP_INFO(stream, ".IFO detected. Redirecting to dvd://\n");
+    char *base = mp_basename(path);
 
-    filename = strdup(basename(stream->path));
+    // Only accept individual titles - use dvdnav for video_ts.ifo
+    if (strncasecmp(base, "vts_", 4))
+        goto unsupported;
 
-    talloc_free(priv->cfg_device);
-    priv->cfg_device = talloc_strdup(NULL, dirname(stream->path));
-    if(!strncasecmp(filename,"vts_",4))
-    {
-        if(sscanf(filename+3, "_%02d_", &priv->cfg_title)!=0)
-            priv->cfg_title = 0;
-    }else
-        priv->cfg_title = 0;
+    if (sscanf(base + 3, "_%02d_", &priv->cfg_title) != 1)
+        goto unsupported;
 
-    free(filename);
-    stream->url=talloc_strdup(stream, "dvdread://");
+    priv->cfg_device = bstrto0(priv, mp_dirname(path));
 
+    MP_INFO(stream, ".IFO detected. Redirecting to dvdread://\n");
     return open_s(stream);
+
+unsupported:
+    talloc_free(priv);
+    stream->priv = NULL;
+    return STREAM_UNSUPPORTED;
 }
 
 const stream_info_t stream_info_dvd = {
diff --git a/stream/stream_dvd_common.c b/stream/stream_dvd_common.c
index a9a6895384..99e9067621 100644
--- a/stream/stream_dvd_common.c
+++ b/stream/stream_dvd_common.c
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <strings.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
 #include <libavutil/intreadwrite.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@
 #include "osdep/io.h"
 
 #include "common/msg.h"
+#include "misc/bstr.h"
 #include "stream_dvd_common.h"
 
 const char * const dvd_audio_stream_types[8] = { "ac3","unknown","mpeg1","mpeg2ext","lpcm","unknown","dts" };
@@ -134,3 +138,28 @@ int mp_dvdtimetomsec(dvd_time_t *dt)
     msec += (((dt->frame_u & 0x30) >> 3) * 5 + (dt->frame_u & 0x0f)) * 100000 / framerate;
   return msec;
 }
+
+// Check if this is likely to be an .ifo or similar file.
+int dvd_probe(const char *path, const char *ext, const char *sig)
+{
+    if (!bstr_case_endswith(bstr0(path), bstr0(ext)))
+        return false;
+
+    FILE *temp = fopen(path, "rb");
+    if (!temp)
+        return false;
+
+    bool r = false;
+
+    char data[50];
+
+    assert(strlen(sig) <= sizeof(data));
+
+    if (fread(data, 50, 1, temp) == 1) {
+        if (memcmp(data, sig, strlen(sig)) == 0)
+            r = true;
+    }
+
+    fclose(temp);
+    return r;
+}
diff --git a/stream/stream_dvd_common.h b/stream/stream_dvd_common.h
index a2b05e8b77..96dfbb3cb3 100644
--- a/stream/stream_dvd_common.h
+++ b/stream/stream_dvd_common.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #define MPLAYER_STREAM_DVD_COMMON_H
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
-#include <dvdread/ifo_types.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include "stream.h"
 
 extern const char * const dvd_audio_stream_channels[6];
@@ -29,4 +29,6 @@ extern const char * const dvd_audio_stream_types[8];
 void dvd_set_speed(stream_t *stream, char *device, unsigned speed);
 int mp_dvdtimetomsec(dvd_time_t *dt);
 
+int dvd_probe(const char *path, const char *ext, const char *sig);
+
 #endif /* MPLAYER_STREAM_DVD_COMMON_H */
diff --git a/stream/stream_file.c b/stream/stream_file.c
index 6a10114832..eef0dcc5cc 100644
--- a/stream/stream_file.c
+++ b/stream/stream_file.c
@@ -126,6 +126,17 @@ char *mp_file_url_to_filename(void *talloc_ctx, bstr url)
     return filename;
 }
 
+// Return talloc_strdup's filesystem path if local, otherwise NULL.
+// Unlike mp_file_url_to_filename(), doesn't return NULL if already local.
+char *mp_file_get_path(void *talloc_ctx, bstr url)
+{
+    if (mp_split_proto(url, &(bstr){0}).len) {
+        return mp_file_url_to_filename(talloc_ctx, url);
+    } else {
+        return bstrto0(talloc_ctx, url);
+    }
+}
+
 #if HAVE_BSD_FSTATFS
 static bool check_stream_network(stream_t *stream)
 {