diff --git a/src/FileDialog.c b/src/FileDialog.c
index cc5a693394..3988c15ffa 100644
--- a/src/FileDialog.c
+++ b/src/FileDialog.c
@@ -379,19 +379,15 @@ gncFileOpen (void)
   if (!gncFileQuerySave ())
     return;
 
-  newfile = fileBox(_("Open"), "*.gnc");
+  newfile = fileBox(_("Open"), NULL);
   gncPostFileOpen (newfile);
 
-  /* This dialogue can show up early in the startup process.
-   * If the user fails to pick a file (by e.g. hitting the cancel
-   * button), we might be left with a null topgroup, which leads
-   * to nastiness when user goes to create their very first account.
-   * Don't leave their ass in a sling, give them what they need.
-   */
-  if (NULL == topgroup) 
-  {
+  /* This dialogue can show up early in the startup process. If the
+   * user fails to pick a file (by e.g. hitting the cancel button), we
+   * might be left with a null topgroup, which leads to nastiness when
+   * user goes to create their very first account. So create one. */
+  if (topgroup == NULL)
     topgroup = xaccMallocAccountGroup();
-  }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/gnome/dialog-filebox.c b/src/gnome/dialog-filebox.c
index 8e5cd30a51..261ee4c035 100644
--- a/src/gnome/dialog-filebox.c
+++ b/src/gnome/dialog-filebox.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ fileBox(const char * title, const char * filter)
   fb_info.file_name = NULL;
 
   last_file = gnc_history_get_last();
-  if (last_file != NULL)
+  if (last_file && !filter)
     gtk_file_selection_set_filename(fb_info.file_box, last_file);
 
   /* hack alert - this was filtering directory names as well as file 
diff --git a/src/scm/extensions.scm b/src/scm/extensions.scm
index e7dd5b561d..72e25db52e 100644
--- a/src/scm/extensions.scm
+++ b/src/scm/extensions.scm
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
      (list "Extensions" "")
      (lambda ()
        (let ((file-name (gnc:file-selection-dialog
-                         "Select file to save strings in" "")))
+                         "Select file to save strings in" ".txt")))
          (if file-name (gnc:save-translatable-strings file-name))))))
 
   (gnc:add-extension menu)