diff --git a/libs/notebook/detect.go b/libs/notebook/detect.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19b580cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/detect.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package notebook
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/service/workspace"
+)
+
+// Maximum length in bytes of the notebook header.
+const headerLength = 32
+
+// readHeader reads the first N bytes from a file.
+func readHeader(path string) ([]byte, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	// Scan header line with some padding.
+	var buf = make([]byte, headerLength)
+	n, err := f.Read([]byte(buf))
+	if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Trim buffer to actual read bytes.
+	return buf[:n], nil
+}
+
+// Detect returns whether the file at path is a Databricks notebook.
+// If it is, it returns the notebook language.
+func Detect(path string) (notebook bool, language workspace.Language, err error) {
+	header := ""
+
+	// Determine which header to expect based on filename extension.
+	ext := strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(path))
+	switch ext {
+	case ".py":
+		header = `# Databricks notebook source`
+		language = workspace.LanguagePython
+	case ".r":
+		header = `# Databricks notebook source`
+		language = workspace.LanguageR
+	case ".scala":
+		header = "// Databricks notebook source"
+		language = workspace.LanguageScala
+	case ".sql":
+		header = "-- Databricks notebook source"
+		language = workspace.LanguageSql
+	default:
+		return false, "", nil
+	}
+
+	buf, err := readHeader(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, "", err
+	}
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(bytes.NewReader(buf))
+	scanner.Scan()
+	if scanner.Text() != header {
+		return false, "", nil
+	}
+
+	return true, language, nil
+}
diff --git a/libs/notebook/detect_test.go b/libs/notebook/detect_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba3cdaba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/detect_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package notebook
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/service/workspace"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestDetect(t *testing.T) {
+	var nb bool
+	var lang workspace.Language
+	var err error
+
+	nb, lang, err = Detect("./testdata/py.py")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, nb)
+	assert.Equal(t, workspace.LanguagePython, lang)
+
+	nb, lang, err = Detect("./testdata/r.r")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, nb)
+	assert.Equal(t, workspace.LanguageR, lang)
+
+	nb, lang, err = Detect("./testdata/scala.scala")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, nb)
+	assert.Equal(t, workspace.LanguageScala, lang)
+
+	nb, lang, err = Detect("./testdata/sql.sql")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, nb)
+	assert.Equal(t, workspace.LanguageSql, lang)
+
+	nb, lang, err = Detect("./testdata/txt.txt")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, nb)
+	assert.Equal(t, workspace.Language(""), lang)
+}
+
+func TestDetectUnknownExtension(t *testing.T) {
+	nb, _, err := Detect("./testdata/doesntexist.foobar")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, nb)
+}
+
+func TestDetectNoExtension(t *testing.T) {
+	nb, _, err := Detect("./testdata/doesntexist")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, nb)
+}
+
+func TestDetectFileDoesNotExists(t *testing.T) {
+	_, _, err := Detect("./testdata/doesntexist.py")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestDetectEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create empty file.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "file.py")
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, nil, 0644)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// No contents means not a notebook.
+	nb, _, err := Detect(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, nb)
+}
+
+func TestDetectFileWithLongHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create 128kb garbage file.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "file.py")
+	buf := make([]byte, 128*1024)
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, buf, 0644)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Garbage contents means not a notebook.
+	nb, _, err := Detect(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, nb)
+}
diff --git a/libs/notebook/testdata/py.py b/libs/notebook/testdata/py.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5fca3802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/testdata/py.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Databricks notebook source
+# hello world
diff --git a/libs/notebook/testdata/r.r b/libs/notebook/testdata/r.r
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5fca3802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/testdata/r.r
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Databricks notebook source
+# hello world
diff --git a/libs/notebook/testdata/scala.scala b/libs/notebook/testdata/scala.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d338e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/testdata/scala.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// Databricks notebook source
+// hello world
diff --git a/libs/notebook/testdata/sql.sql b/libs/notebook/testdata/sql.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..442e46c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/testdata/sql.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-- Databricks notebook source
+-- hello world
diff --git a/libs/notebook/testdata/txt.txt b/libs/notebook/testdata/txt.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b18e512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/notebook/testdata/txt.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hello world
diff --git a/libs/sync/snapshot.go b/libs/sync/snapshot.go
index d77e41d2..96c04963 100644
--- a/libs/sync/snapshot.go
+++ b/libs/sync/snapshot.go
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 package sync
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -16,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 
 	"github.com/databricks/bricks/libs/fileset"
+	"github.com/databricks/bricks/libs/notebook"
 )
 
 // Bump it up every time a potentially breaking change is made to the snapshot schema
@@ -165,32 +164,6 @@ func loadOrNewSnapshot(opts *SyncOptions) (*Snapshot, error) {
 	return snapshot, nil
 }
 
-func getNotebookDetails(path string) (isNotebook bool, typeOfNotebook string, err error) {
-	isNotebook = false
-	typeOfNotebook = ""
-
-	isPythonFile, err := regexp.Match(`\.py$`, []byte(path))
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if isPythonFile {
-		f, err := os.Open(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return false, "", err
-		}
-		defer f.Close()
-		scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
-		ok := scanner.Scan()
-		if !ok {
-			return false, "", scanner.Err()
-		}
-		// A python file is a notebook if it starts with the following magic string
-		isNotebook = strings.Contains(scanner.Text(), "# Databricks notebook source")
-		return isNotebook, "PYTHON", nil
-	}
-	return false, "", nil
-}
-
 func (s *Snapshot) diff(all []fileset.File) (change diff, err error) {
 	currentFilenames := map[string]bool{}
 	lastModifiedTimes := s.LastUpdatedTimes
@@ -213,15 +186,16 @@ func (s *Snapshot) diff(all []fileset.File) (change diff, err error) {
 			change.put = append(change.put, unixFileName)
 
 			// get file metadata about whether it's a notebook
-			isNotebook, typeOfNotebook, err := getNotebookDetails(f.Absolute)
+			isNotebook, _, err := notebook.Detect(f.Absolute)
 			if err != nil {
 				return change, err
 			}
 
-			// strip `.py` for python notebooks
+			// Strip extension for notebooks.
 			remoteName := unixFileName
-			if isNotebook && typeOfNotebook == "PYTHON" {
-				remoteName = strings.TrimSuffix(remoteName, `.py`)
+			if isNotebook {
+				ext := filepath.Ext(remoteName)
+				remoteName = strings.TrimSuffix(remoteName, ext)
 			}
 
 			// If the remote handle of a file changes, we want to delete the old