diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
index 58e06f8364b..1afd840c8c2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.cpp
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ void TerminalAspect::setRunMode(ApplicationLauncher::Mode runMode)
     \class ProjectExplorer::WorkingDirectoryAspect
 */
 
-WorkingDirectoryAspect::WorkingDirectoryAspect(RunConfiguration *runConfig, const QString &key, const QString &dir)
-    : IRunConfigurationAspect(runConfig), m_workingDirectory(dir), m_chooser(0), m_key(key)
+WorkingDirectoryAspect::WorkingDirectoryAspect(RunConfiguration *runConfig, const QString &key)
+    : IRunConfigurationAspect(runConfig), m_chooser(0), m_key(key)
 {
     setDisplayName(tr("Working Directory"));
     setId("WorkingDirectoryAspect");
@@ -149,7 +149,10 @@ WorkingDirectoryAspect *WorkingDirectoryAspect::create(RunConfiguration *runConf
 
 WorkingDirectoryAspect *WorkingDirectoryAspect::clone(RunConfiguration *runConfig) const
 {
-    return new WorkingDirectoryAspect(runConfig, m_key, m_workingDirectory);
+    auto * const aspect = new WorkingDirectoryAspect(runConfig, m_key);
+    aspect->m_defaultWorkingDirectory = m_defaultWorkingDirectory;
+    aspect->m_workingDirectory = m_workingDirectory;
+    return aspect;
 }
 
 void WorkingDirectoryAspect::addToMainConfigurationWidget(QWidget *parent, QFormLayout *layout)
@@ -159,8 +162,10 @@ void WorkingDirectoryAspect::addToMainConfigurationWidget(QWidget *parent, QForm
     m_chooser->setHistoryCompleter(m_key);
     m_chooser->setExpectedKind(Utils::PathChooser::Directory);
     m_chooser->setPromptDialogTitle(tr("Select Working Directory"));
-    connect(m_chooser.data(), &PathChooser::pathChanged,
-            this, &WorkingDirectoryAspect::setWorkingDirectory);
+    m_chooser->lineEdit()->setPlaceholderText(m_defaultWorkingDirectory);
+    m_chooser->setPath(m_workingDirectory);
+    connect(m_chooser.data(), &PathChooser::pathChanged, this,
+            [this]() { m_workingDirectory = m_chooser->rawPath(); });
 
     auto resetButton = new QToolButton(parent);
     resetButton->setToolTip(tr("Reset to Default"));
@@ -187,25 +192,39 @@ void WorkingDirectoryAspect::updateEnvironment()
     m_chooser->setEnvironment(envAspect->environment());
 }
 
+QString WorkingDirectoryAspect::keyForDefaultWd() const
+{
+    return m_key + QLatin1String(".default");
+}
+
 void WorkingDirectoryAspect::resetPath()
 {
-    QTC_ASSERT(m_chooser, return);
     m_chooser->setPath(QString());
 }
 
 void WorkingDirectoryAspect::fromMap(const QVariantMap &map)
 {
     m_workingDirectory = map.value(m_key).toString();
+    m_defaultWorkingDirectory = map.value(keyForDefaultWd()).toString();
 }
 
 void WorkingDirectoryAspect::toMap(QVariantMap &data) const
 {
     data.insert(m_key, m_workingDirectory);
+    data.insert(keyForDefaultWd(), m_defaultWorkingDirectory);
 }
 
 QString WorkingDirectoryAspect::workingDirectory() const
 {
-    return runConfiguration()->macroExpander()->expandProcessArgs(m_workingDirectory);
+    QTC_ASSERT(m_chooser, return m_defaultWorkingDirectory);
+    return m_workingDirectory.isEmpty()
+            ? m_defaultWorkingDirectory
+            : runConfiguration()->macroExpander()->expandProcessArgs(m_chooser->path());
+}
+
+QString WorkingDirectoryAspect::defaultWorkingDirectory() const
+{
+    return m_defaultWorkingDirectory;
 }
 
 QString WorkingDirectoryAspect::unexpandedWorkingDirectory() const
@@ -213,9 +232,11 @@ QString WorkingDirectoryAspect::unexpandedWorkingDirectory() const
     return m_workingDirectory;
 }
 
-void WorkingDirectoryAspect::setWorkingDirectory(const QString &workingDirectory)
+void WorkingDirectoryAspect::setDefaultWorkingDirectory(const QString &defaultWorkingDir)
 {
-    m_workingDirectory = workingDirectory;
+    m_defaultWorkingDirectory = defaultWorkingDir;
+    if (m_chooser)
+        m_chooser->lineEdit()->setPlaceholderText(m_defaultWorkingDirectory);
 }
 
 PathChooser *WorkingDirectoryAspect::pathChooser() const
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.h
index 8680c215bbc..d006c3581e8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfigurationaspects.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class PROJECTEXPLORER_EXPORT WorkingDirectoryAspect : public IRunConfigurationAs
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    explicit WorkingDirectoryAspect(RunConfiguration *runConfig, const QString &key, const QString &dir = QString());
+    explicit WorkingDirectoryAspect(RunConfiguration *runConfig, const QString &key);
 
     WorkingDirectoryAspect *create(RunConfiguration *runConfig) const override;
     WorkingDirectoryAspect *clone(RunConfiguration *runConfig) const override;
@@ -93,8 +93,9 @@ public:
     void addToMainConfigurationWidget(QWidget *parent, QFormLayout *layout);
 
     QString workingDirectory() const;
+    QString defaultWorkingDirectory() const;
     QString unexpandedWorkingDirectory() const;
-    void setWorkingDirectory(const QString &workingDirectory);
+    void setDefaultWorkingDirectory(const QString &defaultWorkingDir);
     Utils::PathChooser *pathChooser() const;
 
 private:
@@ -103,8 +104,10 @@ private:
 
     void resetPath();
     void updateEnvironment();
+    QString keyForDefaultWd() const;
 
     QString m_workingDirectory;
+    QString m_defaultWorkingDirectory;
     QPointer<Utils::PathChooser> m_chooser;
     QString m_key;
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.cpp
index 8ef4ffbef17..7b5112bdb29 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.cpp
@@ -246,21 +246,13 @@ bool QbsRunConfiguration::isConsoleApplication() const
 
 QString QbsRunConfiguration::workingDirectory() const
 {
-    EnvironmentAspect *aspect = extraAspect<EnvironmentAspect>();
-    QTC_ASSERT(aspect, return baseWorkingDirectory());
-    return QDir::cleanPath(aspect->environment().expandVariables(
-                macroExpander()->expand(baseWorkingDirectory())));
+    const auto *wdAspect = extraAspect<WorkingDirectoryAspect>();
+    QTC_ASSERT(wdAspect, return baseWorkingDirectory());
+    return wdAspect->workingDirectory();
 }
 
 QString QbsRunConfiguration::baseWorkingDirectory() const
 {
-    WorkingDirectoryAspect *aspect = extraAspect<WorkingDirectoryAspect>();
-    // if the user overrode us, then return his working directory
-    QString wd = aspect->unexpandedWorkingDirectory();
-    if (!wd.isEmpty())
-        return wd;
-
-    // else what the pro file reader tells us
     const QString exe = executable();
     if (!exe.isEmpty())
         return QFileInfo(executable()).absolutePath();
@@ -272,18 +264,6 @@ QString QbsRunConfiguration::commandLineArguments() const
     return extraAspect<ArgumentsAspect>()->arguments();
 }
 
-void QbsRunConfiguration::setBaseWorkingDirectory(const QString &wd)
-{
-    WorkingDirectoryAspect *aspect = extraAspect<WorkingDirectoryAspect>();
-    const QString &oldWorkingDirectory = workingDirectory();
-
-    aspect->setWorkingDirectory(wd);
-
-    const QString &newWorkingDirectory = workingDirectory();
-    if (oldWorkingDirectory != newWorkingDirectory)
-        emit baseWorkingDirectoryChanged(newWorkingDirectory);
-}
-
 void QbsRunConfiguration::setRunMode(ApplicationLauncher::Mode runMode)
 {
     extraAspect<TerminalAspect>()->setRunMode(runMode);
@@ -413,7 +393,7 @@ void QbsRunConfigurationWidget::targetInformationHasChanged()
     setExecutableLineText(m_rc->executable());
 
     WorkingDirectoryAspect *aspect = m_rc->extraAspect<WorkingDirectoryAspect>();
-    aspect->pathChooser()->setPath(m_rc->baseWorkingDirectory());
+    aspect->setDefaultWorkingDirectory(m_rc->baseWorkingDirectory());
     aspect->pathChooser()->setBaseFileName(m_rc->target()->project()->projectDirectory());
     m_ignoreChange = false;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.h
index d6e2be2f23b..5d04c9da357 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsrunconfiguration.h
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ public:
     bool isConsoleApplication() const;
 
 signals:
-    void baseWorkingDirectoryChanged(const QString&);
     void targetInformationChanged();
     void usingDyldImageSuffixChanged(bool);
 
@@ -104,7 +103,6 @@ private slots:
     void installStepToBeRemoved(int pos);
 
 private:
-    void setBaseWorkingDirectory(const QString &workingDirectory);
     QString baseWorkingDirectory() const;
     QString defaultDisplayName();
     qbs::InstallOptions installOptions() const;