diff --git a/include/wx/generic/filepickerg.h b/include/wx/generic/filepickerg.h
index 203bd6e682..9e18e495a2 100644
--- a/include/wx/generic/filepickerg.h
+++ b/include/wx/generic/filepickerg.h
@@ -156,10 +156,6 @@ protected:
     void UpdatePathFromDialog(wxDialog *p)
         { m_path = wxStaticCast(p, wxFileDialog)->GetPath(); }
 
-    // Set the initial directory for the dialog but without overriding the
-    // directory of the currently selected file, if any.
-    void DoSetInitialDirectory(wxFileDialog* dialog, const wxString& dir);
-
 private:
     DECLARE_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxGenericFileButton)
 };
diff --git a/src/generic/filepickerg.cpp b/src/generic/filepickerg.cpp
index 3d5b975a9a..a33a965db0 100644
--- a/src/generic/filepickerg.cpp
+++ b/src/generic/filepickerg.cpp
@@ -113,46 +113,28 @@ void wxGenericFileDirButton::SetInitialDirectory(const wxString& dir)
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// wxGenericFileutton
+// wxGenericFileButton
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-void
-wxGenericFileButton::DoSetInitialDirectory(wxFileDialog* dialog,
-                                           const wxString& dir)
-{
-    if ( m_path.find_first_of(wxFileName::GetPathSeparators()) ==
-            wxString::npos )
-    {
-        dialog->SetDirectory(dir);
-    }
-}
-
 wxDialog *wxGenericFileButton::CreateDialog()
 {
-    wxFileDialog* const dialog = new wxFileDialog
-                                     (
-                                        GetDialogParent(),
-                                        m_message,
-                                        wxEmptyString,
-                                        wxEmptyString,
-                                        m_wildcard,
-                                        GetDialogStyle()
-                                     );
+    // Determine the initial directory for the dialog: it comes either from the
+    // default path, if it has it, or from the separately specified initial
+    // directory that can be set even if the path is e.g. empty.
+    wxFileName fn(m_path);
+    wxString initialDir = fn.GetPath();
+    if ( initialDir.empty() )
+        initialDir = m_initialDir;
 
-    // If there is no default file or if it doesn't have any path, use the
-    // explicitly set initial directory.
-    //
-    // Notice that it is important to call this before SetPath() below as if we
-    // do have m_initialDir and no directory in m_path, we need to interpret
-    // the path as being relative with respect to m_initialDir.
-    if ( !m_initialDir.empty() )
-        DoSetInitialDirectory(dialog, m_initialDir);
-
-    // This sets both the default file name and the default directory of the
-    // dialog if m_path contains directory part.
-    dialog->SetPath(m_path);
-
-    return dialog;
+    return new wxFileDialog
+               (
+                    GetDialogParent(),
+                    m_message,
+                    initialDir,
+                    fn.GetFullName(),
+                    m_wildcard,
+                    GetDialogStyle()
+               );
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/gtk/filepicker.cpp b/src/gtk/filepicker.cpp
index 213b1e1a8e..f93d3428f2 100644
--- a/src/gtk/filepicker.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/filepicker.cpp
@@ -131,7 +131,15 @@ void wxFileButton::SetPath(const wxString &str)
 void wxFileButton::SetInitialDirectory(const wxString& dir)
 {
     if (m_dialog)
-        DoSetInitialDirectory(static_cast<wxFileDialog*>(m_dialog), dir);
+    {
+        // Only change the directory if the default file name doesn't have any
+        // directory in it, otherwise it takes precedence.
+        if ( m_path.find_first_of(wxFileName::GetPathSeparators()) ==
+                wxString::npos )
+        {
+            static_cast<wxFileDialog*>(m_dialog)->SetDirectory(dir);
+        }
+    }
     else
         wxGenericFileButton::SetInitialDirectory(dir);
 }