diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
index 299bb38523..838588487b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui.cc
@@ -2245,9 +2245,19 @@ ARDOUR_UI::get_session_parameters (bool should_be_new)
 
 		if (!should_be_new && !ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name.empty()) {
 
-			session_path = Glib::path_get_dirname (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name);
+			/* if they named a specific statefile, use it, otherwise they are 
+			   just giving a session folder, and we want to use it as is
+			   to find the session.
+			*/
+
+			if (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name.find (statefile_suffix) != string::npos) {
+				session_path = Glib::path_get_dirname (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name);
+			} else {
+				session_path = ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name;
+			}
+
 			session_name = Glib::path_get_basename (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::session_name);
-			
+
 		} else {
 
 			run_startup (should_be_new);