diff --git a/appview/repo/index.go b/appview/repo/index.go
--- a/appview/repo/index.go
+++ b/appview/repo/index.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ "tangled.org/core/appview/commitverify"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/db"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/models"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/pages"
+	"tangled.org/core/appview/pages/markup"
 	"tangled.org/core/orm"
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 
@@ -317,6 +318,20 @@ errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to call git.GetTree: %w", err))
 			return
 		}
 		treeResp = resp
+
+		for _, file := range resp.Files {
+			if markup.IsReadmeFile(file.Name) {
+				readmeFileName = file.Name
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		bytes, err := tangled.GitTempGetBlob(ctx, xrpcc, readmeFileName, ref, repo.RepoDid)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to call git.getBlob: %w", err))
+			return
+		}
+		readmeContent = string(bytes)
 	})
 
 	// commits
@@ -357,11 +372,6 @@ }
 			}
 			files = append(files, niceFile)
 		}
-	}
-
-	if treeResp != nil && treeResp.Readme != nil {
-		readmeFileName = treeResp.Readme.Filename
-		readmeContent = treeResp.Readme.Contents
 	}
 
 	result := &types.RepoIndexResponse{
diff --git a/appview/repo/tree.go b/appview/repo/tree.go
--- a/appview/repo/tree.go
+++ b/appview/repo/tree.go
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"tangled.org/core/api/tangled"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/db"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/pages"
+	"tangled.org/core/appview/pages/markup"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/reporesolver"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.org/core/appview/xrpcclient"
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ l.Error("failed to call XRPC repo.tree", "xrpcerr", xrpcerr, "err", err)
 		rp.pages.Error503(w)
 		return
 	}
+	var readmeFile *tangled.GitTempGetTree_TreeEntry
 	// Convert XRPC response to internal types.RepoTreeResponse
 	files := make([]types.NiceTree, len(xrpcResp.Files))
 	for i, xrpcFile := range xrpcResp.Files {
@@ -59,6 +62,9 @@ When:    commitWhen,
 			}
 		}
 		files[i] = file
+		if markup.IsReadmeFile(xrpcFile.Name) {
+			readmeFile = xrpcFile
+		}
 	}
 	result := types.RepoTreeResponse{
 		Ref:   xrpcResp.Ref,
@@ -70,9 +76,15 @@ }
 	if xrpcResp.Dotdot != nil {
 		result.DotDot = *xrpcResp.Dotdot
 	}
-	if xrpcResp.Readme != nil {
-		result.ReadmeFileName = xrpcResp.Readme.Filename
-		result.Readme = xrpcResp.Readme.Contents
+	if readmeFile != nil {
+		bytes, err := tangled.GitTempGetBlob(r.Context(), xrpcc, path.Join(treePath, readmeFile.Name), ref, f.RepoAt().String())
+		if xrpcerr := xrpcclient.HandleXrpcErr(err); xrpcerr != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to call XRPC git.getBlob", "xrpcerr", xrpcerr, "err", err)
+			rp.pages.Error503(w)
+			return
+		}
+		result.ReadmeFileName = readmeFile.Name
+		result.Readme = string(bytes)
 	}
 	ownerSlashRepo := reporesolver.GetBaseRepoPath(r, f)
 	// redirects tree paths trying to access a blob; in this case the result.Files is unpopulated,
diff --git a/knotmirror/xrpc/proxy.go b/knotmirror/xrpc/proxy.go
--- a/knotmirror/xrpc/proxy.go
+++ b/knotmirror/xrpc/proxy.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ "context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"maps"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
@@ -149,10 +150,11 @@ return false
 	}
 
 	params := make(url.Values)
-	for k, v := range r.URL.Query() {
-		params[k] = v
+	maps.Copy(params, r.URL.Query())
+	params.Set("repo", knot.repoIdentifier)
+	if mirrorNSID == tangled.GitTempGetBlobNSID {
+		params.Set("raw", "true")
 	}
-	params.Set("repo", knot.repoIdentifier)
 
 	target := fmt.Sprintf("%s/xrpc/%s?%s", knot.baseURL, knotNSID, params.Encode())