diff --git a/cmd-new-session.c b/cmd-new-session.c
index b1e1aa4..c02942d 100644
--- a/cmd-new-session.c
+++ b/cmd-new-session.c
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ enum cmd_retval	 cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *);
 
 const struct cmd_entry cmd_new_session_entry = {
 	"new-session", "new",
-	"AdDF:n:Ps:t:x:y:", 0, 1,
-	"[-AdDP] [-F format] [-n window-name] [-s session-name] "
-	CMD_TARGET_SESSION_USAGE " [-x width] [-y height] [command]",
+	"Ac:dDF:n:Ps:t:x:y:", 0, 1,
+	"[-AdDP] [-c start-directory] [-F format] [-n window-name] "
+	"[-s session-name] " CMD_TARGET_SESSION_USAGE " [-x width] [-y height] "
+	"[command]",
 	CMD_STARTSERVER|CMD_CANTNEST|CMD_SENDENVIRON,
 	NULL,
 	cmd_new_session_exec
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 	struct termios		 tio, *tiop;
 	struct passwd		*pw;
 	const char		*newname, *target, *update, *cwd, *errstr;
-	const char		*template;
+	const char		*template, *tmpcwd;
 	char			*cmd, *cause, *cp;
 	int			 detached, idx;
 	u_int			 sx, sy;
@@ -134,6 +135,14 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		else
 			cwd = "/";
 	}
+	
+	if (args_has(args, 'c'))
+		cwd = cmd_default_path0(cwd, cwd, args_get(args, 'c'));
+	else {
+		tmpcwd = options_get_string(&global_s_options, "default-path"); 
+		cwd = cmd_default_path0(cwd, cwd, tmpcwd);
+	}
+		
 
 	/* Find new session size. */
 	if (c != NULL) {
diff --git a/cmd-new-window.c b/cmd-new-window.c
index 2ca0cec..cdf1c4f 100644
--- a/cmd-new-window.c
+++ b/cmd-new-window.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		cmd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-command");
 	else
 		cmd = args->argv[0];
-	cwd = cmd_get_default_path(cmdq, args_get(args, 'c'));
+	cwd = cmd_default_path(cmdq, args_get(args, 'c'));
 
 	if (idx == -1)
 		idx = -1 - options_get_number(&s->options, "base-index");
diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 5b5140b..6faf3af 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		cmd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-command");
 	else
 		cmd = args->argv[0];
-	cwd = cmd_get_default_path(cmdq, args_get(args, 'c'));
+	cwd = cmd_default_path(cmdq, args_get(args, 'c'));
 
 	type = LAYOUT_TOPBOTTOM;
 	if (args_has(args, 'h'))
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index c9eb41a..7d83cd3 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -1277,33 +1277,56 @@ cmd_template_replace(const char *template, const char *s, int idx)
 	return (buf);
 }
 
+/* Get default path with client from command queue. */
+const char *
+cmd_default_path(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *cwd)
+{
+	struct client   *c = cmdq->client;
+	struct session  *s;
+
+	if ((s = cmd_current_session(cmdq, 0)) == NULL)
+		return (NULL);
+
+	return (cmd_default_path1(c, s, cwd));
+}
+
+/* Get default path with client and session. */
+const char *
+cmd_default_path1(struct client *c, struct session *s, const char *cwd)
+{
+	const char      *this;
+
+	if (cwd == NULL)
+		cwd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-path");
+
+	if (c != NULL && c->session == NULL && c->cwd != NULL)
+		this = c->cwd;
+	else if (s->curw != NULL)
+		this = osdep_get_cwd(s->curw->window->active->fd);
+	else
+		this = NULL;
+
+	return (cmd_default_path0(s->cwd, this, cwd));
+}
+
 /*
  * Return the default path for a new pane, using the given path or the
  * default-path option if it is NULL. Several special values are accepted: the
  * empty string or relative path for the current pane's working directory, ~
- * for the user's home, - for the session working directory, . for the tmux
- * server's working directory. The default on failure is the session's working
- * directory.
+ * for the user's home, - for the base working directory, . for the server
+ * working directory.
  */
 const char *
-cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *cwd)
+cmd_default_path0(const char *base, const char *this, const char *cwd)
 {
-	struct client		*c = cmdq->client;
-	struct session		*s;
-	struct environ_entry	*envent;
 	const char		*root;
+	struct environ_entry    *envent;
 	char			 tmp[MAXPATHLEN];
 	struct passwd		*pw;
 	int			 n;
 	size_t			 skip;
 	static char		 path[MAXPATHLEN];
 
-	if ((s = cmd_current_session(cmdq, 0)) == NULL)
-		return (NULL);
-
-	if (cwd == NULL)
-		cwd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-path");
-
 	skip = 1;
 	if (strcmp(cwd, "$HOME") == 0 || strncmp(cwd, "$HOME/", 6) == 0) {
 		/* User's home directory - $HOME. */
@@ -1313,8 +1336,8 @@ cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *cwd)
 		/* User's home directory - ~. */
 		goto find_home;
 	} else if (cwd[0] == '-' && (cwd[1] == '\0' || cwd[1] == '/')) {
-		/* Session working directory. */
-		root = s->cwd;
+		/* Base working directory. */
+		root = base;
 		goto complete_path;
 	} else if (cwd[0] == '.' && (cwd[1] == '\0' || cwd[1] == '/')) {
 		/* Server working directory. */
@@ -1322,24 +1345,21 @@ cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *cwd)
 			root = tmp;
 			goto complete_path;
 		}
-		return (s->cwd);
+		return ("/");
 	} else if (*cwd == '/') {
 		/* Absolute path. */
 		return (cwd);
 	} else {
 		/* Empty or relative path. */
-		if (c != NULL && c->session == NULL && c->cwd != NULL)
-			root = c->cwd;
-		else if (s->curw != NULL)
-			root = osdep_get_cwd(s->curw->window->active->fd);
+		if (this != NULL)
+			root = this;
 		else
-			return (s->cwd);
+			return (base);
 		skip = 0;
-		if (root != NULL)
-			goto complete_path;
+		goto complete_path;
 	}
 
-	return (s->cwd);
+	return (base);
 
 find_home:
 	envent = environ_find(&global_environ, "HOME");
@@ -1348,7 +1368,7 @@ find_home:
 	else if ((pw = getpwuid(getuid())) != NULL)
 		root = pw->pw_dir;
 	else
-		return (s->cwd);
+		return (base);
 
 complete_path:
 	if (root[skip] == '\0') {
@@ -1358,5 +1378,5 @@ complete_path:
 	n = snprintf(path, sizeof path, "%s/%s", root, cwd + skip);
 	if (n > 0 && (size_t)n < sizeof path)
 		return (path);
-	return (s->cwd);
+	return (base);
 }
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 63eddd1..ab2993e 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1767,7 +1767,10 @@ int		 cmd_find_index(struct cmd_q *, const char *,
 struct winlink	*cmd_find_pane(struct cmd_q *, const char *, struct session **,
 		     struct window_pane **);
 char		*cmd_template_replace(const char *, const char *, int);
-const char     	*cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_q *, const char *);
+const char	*cmd_default_path(struct cmd_q *, const char *);
+const char	*cmd_default_path1(struct client *, struct session *,
+		     const char *);
+const char	*cmd_default_path0(const char *, const char *, const char *);
 extern const struct cmd_entry *cmd_table[];
 extern const struct cmd_entry cmd_attach_session_entry;
 extern const struct cmd_entry cmd_bind_key_entry;