diff --git a/scripts/new_session.sh b/scripts/new_session.sh
index 4e8e5f3..7046cbc 100755
--- a/scripts/new_session.sh
+++ b/scripts/new_session.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
 # global variable
 SESSION_NAME="$1"
+SESSION_START_DIR="$2"
 
 source "$CURRENT_DIR/helpers.sh"
 
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ create_new_tmux_session() {
 		switch_to_session "$SESSION_NAME"
 		display_message "Switched to existing session ${SESSION_NAME}" "2000"
 	else
-		TMUX="" tmux -S "$(tmux_socket)" new-session -d -s "$SESSION_NAME"
+		TMUX="" tmux -S "$(tmux_socket)" new-session -d -s "$SESSION_NAME" -c "$SESSION_START_DIR"
 		switch_to_session "$SESSION_NAME"
 	fi
 }
diff --git a/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh b/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh
index f4eb603..53b8088 100755
--- a/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh
+++ b/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 CURRENT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+SESSION_START_DIR="$1"
 
 main() {
-	tmux command -p "new session name:" "run '$CURRENT_DIR/new_session.sh \"%1\"'"
+	tmux command -p "new session name:" "run '$CURRENT_DIR/new_session.sh \"%1\" \"$SESSION_START_DIR\"'"
 }
 main
diff --git a/sessionist.tmux b/sessionist.tmux
index 25aae7d..8d34fa2 100755
--- a/sessionist.tmux
+++ b/sessionist.tmux
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ tmux_option_alternate="@sessionist-alternate"
 
 default_key_bindings_new="C"
 tmux_option_new="@sessionist-new"
+starting_directory="@sessionist-start-directory"
 
 default_key_bindings_promote_pane="@"
 tmux_option_promote_pane="@sessionist-promote-pane"
@@ -44,9 +45,10 @@ set_alternate_session_binding() {
 # it will switch to existing session.
 set_new_session_binding() {
 	local key_bindings=$(get_tmux_option "$tmux_option_new" "$default_key_bindings_new")
+	local start_directory=$(get_tmux_option "$starting_directory" "$HOME")
 	local key
 	for key in $key_bindings; do
-		tmux bind "$key" run "$CURRENT_DIR/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh"
+		tmux bind "$key" run "$CURRENT_DIR/scripts/new_session_prompt.sh '$start_directory'"
 	done
 }