diff --git a/app/src/main.cpp b/app/src/main.cpp
index fc39d321..8239251c 100644
--- a/app/src/main.cpp
+++ b/app/src/main.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	/* Start thread's task */
 	mainWindow->showNormal();
 
+	rtabmap->setWorkingDirectory(mainWindow->getWorkingDirectory().toStdString());
 	rtabmap->start();
 
 	// Now wait for application to finish
diff --git a/guilib/include/rtabmap/gui/MainWindow.h b/guilib/include/rtabmap/gui/MainWindow.h
index 31d13d2f..ac765394 100644
--- a/guilib/include/rtabmap/gui/MainWindow.h
+++ b/guilib/include/rtabmap/gui/MainWindow.h
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ public:
 	MainWindow(PreferencesDialog * prefDialog = 0, QWidget * parent = 0);
 	~MainWindow();
 
+	QString getWorkingDirectory() const;
+
 public slots:
 	void changeState(MainWindow::State state);
 
diff --git a/guilib/src/MainWindow.cpp b/guilib/src/MainWindow.cpp
index 3df9bae8..054179fb 100644
--- a/guilib/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/guilib/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -1092,6 +1092,11 @@ void MainWindow::deleteMemory()
 	this->clearTheCache();
 }
 
+QString MainWindow::getWorkingDirectory() const
+{
+	return _preferencesDialog->getWorkingDirectory();
+}
+
 void MainWindow::openWorkingDirectory()
 {
 	QString filePath = _preferencesDialog->getWorkingDirectory();