diff --git a/cmd-attach-session.c b/cmd-attach-session.c
index b339b890..e5589277 100644
--- a/cmd-attach-session.c
+++ b/cmd-attach-session.c
@@ -99,12 +99,6 @@ cmd_attach_session(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *tflag, int dflag, int rflag,
 		cwd = format_expand(ft, cflag);
 		format_free(ft);
 
-		if (access(cwd, X_OK) != 0) {
-			free((void *)cwd);
-			cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad working directory: %s",
-			    strerror(errno));
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
-		}
 		free((void *)s->cwd);
 		s->cwd = cwd;
 	}
diff --git a/cmd-new-session.c b/cmd-new-session.c
index 90bb2e0e..65dc6cf5 100644
--- a/cmd-new-session.c
+++ b/cmd-new-session.c
@@ -124,13 +124,6 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		    NULL);
 		to_free = cwd = format_expand(ft, args_get(args, 'c'));
 		format_free(ft);
-
-		if (access(cwd, X_OK) != 0) {
-			free((void *)cwd);
-			cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad working directory: %s",
-			    strerror(errno));
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
-		}
 	} else if (c != NULL && c->session == NULL)
 		cwd = c->cwd;
 	else if ((c0 = cmd_find_client(cmdq, NULL, 1)) != NULL)
diff --git a/cmd-new-window.c b/cmd-new-window.c
index a5085fff..fb89e24f 100644
--- a/cmd-new-window.c
+++ b/cmd-new-window.c
@@ -99,13 +99,6 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		    NULL);
 		cwd = format_expand(ft, args_get(args, 'c'));
 		format_free(ft);
-
-		if (access(cwd, X_OK) != 0) {
-			free((void *)cwd);
-			cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad working directory: %s",
-			    strerror(errno));
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
-		}
 	} else if (cmdq->client != NULL && cmdq->client->session == NULL)
 		cwd = cmdq->client->cwd;
 	else
diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 6adb19a8..fb766d3b 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -93,13 +93,6 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		    NULL);
 		to_free = cwd = format_expand(ft, args_get(args, 'c'));
 		format_free(ft);
-
-		if (access(cwd, X_OK) != 0) {
-			free((void *)cwd);
-			cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad working directory: %s",
-			    strerror(errno));
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
-		}
 	} else if (cmdq->client != NULL && cmdq->client->session == NULL)
 		cwd = cmdq->client->cwd;
 	else