diff --git a/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.cpp b/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.cpp
index fc8441d1a7b..5ffa90296ab 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,20 @@ FileName PathChooser::fileName() const
     return FileName::fromString(path());
 }
 
+// FIXME: try to remove again
+QString PathChooser::expandedDirectory(const QString &input, const Environment &env,
+                                       const QString &baseDir)
+{
+    if (input.isEmpty())
+        return input;
+    const QString path = QDir::cleanPath(env.expandVariables(input));
+    if (path.isEmpty())
+        return path;
+    if (!baseDir.isEmpty() && QFileInfo(path).isRelative())
+        return QFileInfo(baseDir + QLatin1Char('/') + path).absoluteFilePath();
+    return path;
+}
+
 void PathChooser::setPath(const QString &path)
 {
     d->m_lineEdit->setText(QDir::toNativeSeparators(path));
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.h b/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.h
index 99be42efd07..344cc9255f1 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/pathchooser.h
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ public:
     FileName rawFileName() const; // The raw unexpanded input.
     FileName fileName() const;
 
+    static QString expandedDirectory(const QString &input, const Utils::Environment &env,
+                                     const QString &baseDir);
+
     QString baseDirectory() const;
     void setBaseDirectory(const QString &directory);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
index 8ce854712a0..1ca95da8e4e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
@@ -204,11 +204,20 @@ void WorkingDirectoryAspect::toMap(QVariantMap &data) const
 
 FileName WorkingDirectoryAspect::workingDirectory() const
 {
-    QTC_ASSERT(m_chooser, return m_defaultWorkingDirectory);
     if (m_workingDirectory.isEmpty())
         return m_defaultWorkingDirectory;
-    return FileName::fromString(
+
+    if (m_chooser) {
+        return FileName::fromString(
                 runConfiguration()->macroExpander()->expandProcessArgs(m_chooser->path()));
+    } else {
+        auto envAspect = runConfiguration()->extraAspect<EnvironmentAspect>();
+        const Utils::Environment env = envAspect ? envAspect->environment()
+                                                 : Utils::Environment::systemEnvironment();
+        return FileName::fromString(
+                runConfiguration()->macroExpander()->expandProcessArgs(
+                        PathChooser::expandedDirectory(m_workingDirectory.toString(), env, QString())));
+    }
 }
 
 FileName WorkingDirectoryAspect::defaultWorkingDirectory() const