diff --git a/file.go b/file.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dad808e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/file.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package zenity
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+func splitDirAndName(path string) (dir, name string) {
+	path = filepath.Clean(path)
+	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err == nil && fi.IsDir() {
+		return path, ""
+	}
+	return filepath.Split(path)
+}
diff --git a/file_windows.go b/file_windows.go
index 63fd5b1..e0fd633 100644
--- a/file_windows.go
+++ b/file_windows.go
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ func SelectFile(options ...Option) (string, error) {
 	if opts.title != "" {
 		args.Title = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.title)
 	}
-	if opts.filename != "" {
-		args.InitialDir = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.filename)
-	}
 	if opts.filters != nil {
 		args.Filter = &windowsFilters(opts.filters)[0]
 	}
@@ -38,6 +35,7 @@ func SelectFile(options ...Option) (string, error) {
 	res := [32768]uint16{}
 	args.File = &res[0]
 	args.MaxFile = uint32(len(res))
+	args.InitialDir = initDirAndName(opts.filename, res[:])
 
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
@@ -58,9 +56,6 @@ func SelectFileMutiple(options ...Option) ([]string, error) {
 	if opts.title != "" {
 		args.Title = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.title)
 	}
-	if opts.filename != "" {
-		args.InitialDir = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.filename)
-	}
 	if opts.filters != nil {
 		args.Filter = &windowsFilters(opts.filters)[0]
 	}
@@ -68,6 +63,7 @@ func SelectFileMutiple(options ...Option) ([]string, error) {
 	res := [32768 + 1024*256]uint16{}
 	args.File = &res[0]
 	args.MaxFile = uint32(len(res))
+	args.InitialDir = initDirAndName(opts.filename, res[:])
 
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
@@ -113,9 +109,6 @@ func SelectFileSave(options ...Option) (string, error) {
 	if opts.title != "" {
 		args.Title = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.title)
 	}
-	if opts.filename != "" {
-		args.InitialDir = syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(opts.filename)
-	}
 	if opts.overwrite {
 		args.Flags |= 0x2 // OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT
 	}
@@ -126,6 +119,7 @@ func SelectFileSave(options ...Option) (string, error) {
 	res := [32768]uint16{}
 	args.File = &res[0]
 	args.MaxFile = uint32(len(res))
+	args.InitialDir = initDirAndName(opts.filename, res[:])
 
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
@@ -237,6 +231,19 @@ func browseForFolder(title string) (string, error) {
 	return syscall.UTF16ToString(res[:]), nil
 }
 
+func initDirAndName(filename string, name []uint16) (dir *uint16) {
+	if filename != "" {
+		d, n := splitDirAndName(filename)
+		if n != "" {
+			copy(name, syscall.StringToUTF16(n))
+		}
+		if d != "" {
+			return syscall.StringToUTF16Ptr(d)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func windowsFilters(filters []FileFilter) []uint16 {
 	var res []uint16
 	for _, f := range filters {