diff --git a/cmd-new-window.c b/cmd-new-window.c
index 065e2b1f..30ddd643 100644
--- a/cmd-new-window.c
+++ b/cmd-new-window.c
@@ -98,13 +98,7 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 		cmd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-command");
 	else
 		cmd = args->argv[0];
-	cwd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-path");
-	if (*cwd == '\0') {
-		if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL && ctx->cmdclient->cwd != NULL)
-			cwd = ctx->cmdclient->cwd;
-		else
-			cwd = s->cwd;
-	}
+	cwd = cmd_get_default_path(ctx);
 
 	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 258c6327..70891932 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -77,13 +77,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 		cmd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-command");
 	else
 		cmd = args->argv[0];
-	cwd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-path");
-	if (*cwd == '\0') {
-		if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL && ctx->cmdclient->cwd != NULL)
-			cwd = ctx->cmdclient->cwd;
-		else
-			cwd = s->cwd;
-	}
+	cwd = cmd_get_default_path(ctx);
 
 	type = LAYOUT_TOPBOTTOM;
 	if (args_has(args, 'h'))
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index 2027f75b..aee095e6 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -1212,3 +1212,28 @@ cmd_template_replace(char *template, const char *s, int idx)
 
 	return (buf);
 }
+
+/* Return the default path for a new pane. */
+char *
+cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	char			*cwd;
+	struct session		*s;
+	struct window_pane	*wp;
+
+	if ((s = cmd_current_session(ctx, 0)) == NULL)
+		return (NULL);
+
+	cwd = options_get_string(&s->options, "default-path");
+	if (*cwd == '\0') {
+		if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL && ctx->cmdclient->cwd != NULL)
+			return (ctx->cmdclient->cwd);
+		if (ctx->curclient != NULL) {
+			wp = s->curw->window->active;
+			if ((cwd = osdep_get_cwd(wp->pid)) != NULL)
+				return (cwd);
+		}
+		return (s->cwd);
+	}
+	return (cwd);
+}
diff --git a/osdep-aix.c b/osdep-aix.c
index 0dc07d6e..2a291655 100644
--- a/osdep-aix.c
+++ b/osdep-aix.c
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ osdep_get_name(unused int fd, unused char *tty)
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-darwin.c b/osdep-darwin.c
index 229a4931..c5820df6 100644
--- a/osdep-darwin.c
+++ b/osdep-darwin.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 char			*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char			*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base	*osdep_event_init(void);
 
 #define unused __attribute__ ((unused))
@@ -48,6 +49,12 @@ osdep_get_name(int fd, unused char *tty)
 	return (strdup(kp.kp_proc.p_comm));
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-dragonfly.c b/osdep-dragonfly.c
index b15abf96..22045c37 100644
--- a/osdep-dragonfly.c
+++ b/osdep-dragonfly.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 struct kinfo_proc	*cmp_procs(struct kinfo_proc *, struct kinfo_proc *);
 char			*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char			*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base	*osdep_event_init(void);
 
 #ifndef nitems
@@ -119,6 +120,12 @@ error:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-freebsd.c b/osdep-freebsd.c
index 6b0c8886..1027a648 100644
--- a/osdep-freebsd.c
+++ b/osdep-freebsd.c
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <libutil.h>
 
 struct kinfo_proc	*cmp_procs(struct kinfo_proc *, struct kinfo_proc *);
 char			*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char			*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base	*osdep_event_init(void);
 
 #ifndef nitems
@@ -130,6 +132,28 @@ error:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	static char		 wd[PATH_MAX];
+	struct kinfo_file	*info = NULL;
+	int			 nrecords, i;
+
+	if ((info = kinfo_getfile(pid, &nrecords)) == NULL)
+		return (NULL);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < nrecords; i++) {
+		if (info[i].kf_fd == KF_FD_TYPE_CWD) {
+			strlcpy(wd, info[i].kf_path, sizeof wd);
+			free(info);
+			return (wd);
+		}
+	}
+
+	free(info);
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-hpux.c b/osdep-hpux.c
index 3bec98ee..c962a1f7 100644
--- a/osdep-hpux.c
+++ b/osdep-hpux.c
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ osdep_get_name(unused int fd, unused char *tty)
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-linux.c b/osdep-linux.c
index b4a1a9f6..6e4430b8 100644
--- a/osdep-linux.c
+++ b/osdep-linux.c
@@ -60,6 +60,23 @@ osdep_get_name(int fd, unused char *tty)
 	return (buf);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	static char	 target[MAXPATHLEN + 1];
+	char		*path;
+	ssize_t		 n;
+
+	xasprintf(&path, "/proc/%d/cwd", pid);
+	n = readlink(path, target, MAXPATHLEN);
+	xfree(path);
+	if (n > 0) {
+		target[n] = '\0';
+		return (target);
+	}
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-netbsd.c b/osdep-netbsd.c
index 64fcb3e0..bb2676cc 100644
--- a/osdep-netbsd.c
+++ b/osdep-netbsd.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 struct kinfo_proc2	*cmp_procs(struct kinfo_proc2 *, struct kinfo_proc2 *);
 char			*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char			*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base	*osdep_event_init(void);
 
 struct kinfo_proc2 *
@@ -123,6 +124,12 @@ error:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-openbsd.c b/osdep-openbsd.c
index 9eefc44f..4fb75bff 100644
--- a/osdep-openbsd.c
+++ b/osdep-openbsd.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 struct kinfo_proc	*cmp_procs(struct kinfo_proc *, struct kinfo_proc *);
 char			*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char			*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base	*osdep_event_init(void);
 
 struct kinfo_proc *
@@ -133,6 +134,18 @@ error:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char*
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	int		name[] = { CTL_KERN, KERN_PROC_CWD, (int)pid };
+	static char	path[MAXPATHLEN];
+	size_t		pathlen = sizeof path;
+
+	if (sysctl(name, 3, path, &pathlen, NULL, 0) != 0)
+		return (NULL);
+	return (path);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-sunos.c b/osdep-sunos.c
index 5d1e582e..6ba27691 100644
--- a/osdep-sunos.c
+++ b/osdep-sunos.c
@@ -64,6 +64,23 @@ osdep_get_name(int fd, char *tty)
 	return (xstrdup(p.pr_fname));
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	static char	 target[MAXPATHLEN + 1];
+	char		*path;
+	ssize_t		 n;
+
+	xasprintf(&path, "/proc/%u/path/cwd", (u_int) pid);
+	n = readlink(path, target, MAXPATHLEN);
+	xfree(path);
+	if (n > 0) {
+		target[n] = '\0';
+		return (target);
+	}
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/osdep-unknown.c b/osdep-unknown.c
index 3bec98ee..c962a1f7 100644
--- a/osdep-unknown.c
+++ b/osdep-unknown.c
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ osdep_get_name(unused int fd, unused char *tty)
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+char *
+osdep_get_cwd(pid_t pid)
+{
+	return (NULL);
+}
+
 struct event_base *
 osdep_event_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 4c2a8866..556137c4 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -1845,10 +1845,10 @@ to create a login shell using the value of the
 .Ic default-shell
 option.
 .It Ic default-path Ar path
-Set the default working directory for processes created from keys, or
-interactively from the prompt.
-The default is empty, which means to use the working directory of the shell
-from which the server was started if it is available or the user's home if not.
+Set the default working directory for new panes.
+If empty (the default), the working directory is determined from the process
+running in the active pane, from the command line environment or from the
+working directory where the session was created.
 .It Ic default-shell Ar path
 Specify the default shell.
 This is used as the login shell for new windows when the
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index dc168c9b..6553388b 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1558,6 +1558,7 @@ int		 cmd_find_index(
 struct winlink	*cmd_find_pane(struct cmd_ctx *,
 		     const char *, struct session **, struct window_pane **);
 char		*cmd_template_replace(char *, const char *, int);
+char		*cmd_get_default_path(struct cmd_ctx *ctx);
 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;
@@ -2075,6 +2076,7 @@ u_int	utf8_split2(u_int, u_char *);
 
 /* osdep-*.c */
 char		*osdep_get_name(int, char *);
+char		*osdep_get_cwd(pid_t);
 struct event_base *osdep_event_init(void);
 
 /* log.c */