diff --git a/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.h b/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.h
index 607cc7e89d..e810304cb6 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.h
+++ b/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.h
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ typedef QofSession * (*QofSessionCB) (void);
 gboolean gnc_reverse_balance(const Account *account);
 gboolean gnc_reverse_balance_type(GNCAccountType type);
 
+/* Default directory sections ***************************************/
+#define GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE "dialogs/open_save"
+#define GCONF_DIR_EXPORT "dialogs/export_accounts"
+#define GCONF_DIR_REPORT "dialogs/report"
 
 /* Default directories **********************************************/
 
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/dialog-file-access.c b/src/gnome-utils/dialog-file-access.c
index 2ce9611144..51214b64fb 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/dialog-file-access.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/dialog-file-access.c
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@
 #include <glade/glade.h>
 
 #include "gnc-ui.h"
+#include "gnc-ui-util.h"
 #include "gnc-uri-utils.h"
 #include "dialog-utils.h"
 #include "dialog-file-access.h"
 #include "gnc-file.h"
+#include "gnc-plugin-file-history.h"
 #include "gnc-session.h"
 
 static QofLogModule log_module = GNC_MOD_GUI;
@@ -248,6 +250,9 @@ gnc_ui_file_access( int type )
     gint active_access_method_index = -1;
     const gchar* default_db;
     const gchar *button_label = NULL;
+    const gchar *gconf_section;
+    gchar *last;
+    gchar *starting_dir = NULL;
 
     g_return_if_fail( type == FILE_ACCESS_OPEN || type == FILE_ACCESS_SAVE_AS || type == FILE_ACCESS_EXPORT );
 
@@ -278,18 +283,21 @@ gnc_ui_file_access( int type )
         gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(faw->dialog), _("Open..."));
         button_label = "gtk-open";
         fileChooserAction = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_OPEN;
+        gconf_section = GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE;
         break;
 
     case FILE_ACCESS_SAVE_AS:
         gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(faw->dialog), _("Save As..."));
         button_label = "gtk-save-as";
         fileChooserAction = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_SAVE;
+        gconf_section = GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE;
         break;
 
     case FILE_ACCESS_EXPORT:
         gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(faw->dialog), _("Export"));
         button_label = "gtk-save-as";
         fileChooserAction = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_SAVE;
+        gconf_section = GCONF_DIR_EXPORT;
         break;
     }
 
@@ -304,6 +312,22 @@ gnc_ui_file_access( int type )
     fileChooser = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_WIDGET(gtk_file_chooser_widget_new( fileChooserAction ));
     faw->fileChooser = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER(fileChooser);
     gtk_container_add( GTK_CONTAINER(align), GTK_WIDGET(fileChooser) );
+
+    /* Set the default directory */
+    if (type == FILE_ACCESS_OPEN || type == FILE_ACCESS_SAVE_AS)
+    {
+        last = gnc_history_get_last();
+        if ( last && gnc_uri_is_file_uri ( last ) )
+        {
+            gchar *filepath = gnc_uri_get_path ( last );
+            starting_dir = g_path_get_dirname( filepath );
+            g_free ( filepath );
+        }
+    }
+    if (!starting_dir)
+        starting_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(gconf_section);
+    gtk_file_chooser_set_current_folder(faw->fileChooser, starting_dir);
+
     g_object_connect( G_OBJECT(faw->fileChooser), "signal::file-activated",
                       gnc_ui_file_access_file_activated_cb, faw, NULL );
 
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c
index c19553c408..918d307767 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-file.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 #include "gnc-session.h"
 #include "gnc-autosave.h"
 
-#define GCONF_SECTION "dialogs/export_accounts"
 
 /** GLOBALS *********************************************************/
 /* This static indicates the debugging module that this .o belongs to.  */
@@ -618,6 +617,14 @@ gnc_post_file_open (const char * filename)
                                        username, password, path);
     }
 
+    /* For file based uri's, remember the directory as the default. */
+    if (gnc_uri_is_file_protocol(protocol))
+    {
+        gchar *default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(path);
+        gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE, default_dir);
+        g_free(default_dir);
+    }
+
     /* disable events while moving over to the new set of accounts;
      * the mass deletion of accounts and transactions during
      * switchover would otherwise cause excessive redraws. */
@@ -849,23 +856,26 @@ gnc_post_file_open (const char * filename)
 gboolean
 gnc_file_open (void)
 {
-    const char * newfile;
-    gchar *lastpath = NULL;
-    gchar *lastfile = NULL;
-    gchar *last_file_dir = NULL;
+    const gchar * newfile;
+    gchar *last = NULL;
+    gchar *default_dir = NULL;
     gboolean result;
 
     if (!gnc_file_query_save (TRUE))
         return FALSE;
 
-    lastpath = gnc_history_get_last();
-    lastfile = gnc_uri_get_path ( lastpath );
-    if ( lastfile )
-        last_file_dir = g_path_get_dirname(lastfile);
-    newfile = gnc_file_dialog (_("Open"), NULL, last_file_dir, GNC_FILE_DIALOG_OPEN);
-    g_free ( lastpath );
-    g_free ( lastfile );
-    g_free ( last_file_dir );
+    if ( last && gnc_uri_is_file_uri ( last ) )
+    {
+        gchar *filepath = gnc_uri_get_path ( last );
+        default_dir = g_path_get_dirname( filepath );
+        g_free ( filepath );
+    }
+    else
+        default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE);
+
+    newfile = gnc_file_dialog (_("Open"), NULL, default_dir, GNC_FILE_DIALOG_OPEN);
+    g_free ( last );
+    g_free ( default_dir );
 
     result = gnc_post_file_open ( newfile );
 
@@ -915,9 +925,8 @@ gnc_file_export (void)
         g_free ( filepath );
     }
     else
-    {
-        default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_SECTION);
-    }
+        default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_DIR_EXPORT);
+
     filename = gnc_file_dialog (_("Save"), NULL, default_dir,
                                 GNC_FILE_DIALOG_SAVE);
     g_free ( last );
@@ -935,7 +944,6 @@ gnc_file_do_export(const char * filename)
     QofSession *current_session, *new_session;
     gboolean ok;
     QofBackendError io_err = ERR_BACKEND_NO_ERR;
-    gchar *default_dir = NULL;
     gchar *norm_file;
     gchar *newfile;
     const gchar *oldfile;
@@ -980,8 +988,8 @@ gnc_file_do_export(const char * filename)
     /* For file based uri's, remember the directory as the default. */
     if (gnc_uri_is_file_protocol(protocol))
     {
-        default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(path);
-        gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_SECTION, default_dir);
+        gchar *default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(path);
+        gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_DIR_EXPORT, default_dir);
         g_free(default_dir);
     }
 
@@ -1113,14 +1121,9 @@ gnc_file_save (void)
 void
 gnc_file_save_as (void)
 {
-    QofSession *new_session;
-    QofSession *session;
-    const char *filename;
-    char *default_dir = NULL;        /* Default to last open */
-    char *last;
-    char *newfile;
-    const char *oldfile;
-    QofBackendError io_err = ERR_BACKEND_NO_ERR;
+    const gchar *filename;
+    gchar *default_dir = NULL;        /* Default to last open */
+    gchar *last;
 
     ENTER(" ");
 
@@ -1132,9 +1135,8 @@ gnc_file_save_as (void)
         g_free ( filepath );
     }
     else
-    {
-        default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_SECTION);
-    }
+        default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE);
+
     filename = gnc_file_dialog (_("Save"), NULL, default_dir,
                                 GNC_FILE_DIALOG_SAVE);
     g_free ( last );
@@ -1151,8 +1153,6 @@ gnc_file_do_save_as (const char* filename)
 {
     QofSession *new_session;
     QofSession *session;
-    gchar *default_dir = NULL;        /* Default to last open */
-    gchar *last;
     gchar *norm_file;
     gchar *newfile;
     const gchar *oldfile;
@@ -1200,8 +1200,8 @@ gnc_file_do_save_as (const char* filename)
     /* For file based uri's, remember the directory as the default. */
     if (gnc_uri_is_file_protocol(protocol))
     {
-        default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(path);
-        gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_SECTION, default_dir);
+        gchar *default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(path);
+        gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_DIR_OPEN_SAVE, default_dir);
         g_free(default_dir);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/report/report-gnome/gnc-plugin-page-report.c b/src/report/report-gnome/gnc-plugin-page-report.c
index 3528e1f1fe..d8b4a630d1 100644
--- a/src/report/report-gnome/gnc-plugin-page-report.c
+++ b/src/report/report-gnome/gnc-plugin-page-report.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "gnc-file.h"
 #include "gnc-plugin.h"
 #include "gnc-plugin-page-report.h"
+#include "gnc-plugin-file-history.h"
 #include "gnc-report.h"
 #include "gnc-session.h"
 #include "gnc-ui-util.h"
@@ -1390,6 +1391,7 @@ gnc_get_export_filename (SCM choice)
     char * title;
     const gchar * type;
     int rc;
+    char * default_dir;
 
     if (choice == SCM_BOOL_T)
         type = _("HTML");
@@ -1400,17 +1402,23 @@ gnc_get_export_filename (SCM choice)
 
     /* %s is the type of what is about to be saved, e.g. "HTML". */
     title = g_strdup_printf (_("Save %s To File"), type);
+    default_dir = gnc_get_default_directory(GCONF_DIR_REPORT);
 
-    filepath = gnc_file_dialog (title, NULL, NULL, GNC_FILE_DIALOG_EXPORT);
+    filepath = gnc_file_dialog (title, NULL, default_dir, GNC_FILE_DIALOG_EXPORT);
 
     g_free (title);
+    g_free (default_dir);
 
     if (!filepath)
         return NULL;
 
+    default_dir = g_path_get_dirname(filepath);
+    gnc_set_default_directory (GCONF_DIR_REPORT, default_dir);
+    g_free(default_dir);
+
     rc = g_stat (filepath, &statbuf);
 
-    /* Check for an error that isn't a non-existant file. */
+    /* Check for an error that isn't a non-existent file. */
     if (rc != 0 && errno != ENOENT)
     {
         /* %s is the strerror(3) string of the error that occurred. */