diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 6feafc93..aa6b596f 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -279,10 +279,10 @@ client_main(struct event_base *base, int argc, char **argv, int flags)
 	client_peer = proc_add_peer(client_proc, fd, client_dispatch, NULL);
 
 	/* Save these before pledge(). */
-	if ((cwd = getcwd(path, sizeof path)) == NULL) {
-		if ((cwd = find_home()) == NULL)
-			cwd = "/";
-	}
+	if ((cwd = getenv("PWD")) == NULL &&
+	    (cwd = getcwd(path, sizeof path)) == NULL &&
+	    (cwd = find_home()) == NULL)
+		cwd = "/";
 	if ((ttynam = ttyname(STDIN_FILENO)) == NULL)
 		ttynam = "";
 
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index b8a73fd9..b8ecfecc 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char					*path, *label, **var;
 	char					 tmp[PATH_MAX];
-	const char				*s, *shell;
+	const char				*s, *shell, *cwd;
 	int					 opt, flags, keys;
 	const struct options_table_entry	*oe;
 
@@ -294,8 +294,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	global_environ = environ_create();
 	for (var = environ; *var != NULL; var++)
 		environ_put(global_environ, *var);
-	if (getcwd(tmp, sizeof tmp) != NULL)
-		environ_set(global_environ, "PWD", "%s", tmp);
+	if ((cwd = getenv("PWD")) == NULL &&
+	    (cwd = getcwd(tmp, sizeof tmp)) != NULL)
+		environ_set(global_environ, "PWD", "%s", cwd);
 
 	global_options = options_create(NULL);
 	global_s_options = options_create(NULL);