diff --git a/tmuxp/session.py b/tmuxp/session.py
index b4ef7a3731..558be22b47 100644
--- a/tmuxp/session.py
+++ b/tmuxp/session.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
     with_statement, unicode_literals
 
 import os
-import pipes
 import logging
 
 from .window import Window
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@ def rename_session(self, new_name):
         :rtype: :class:`Session`
 
         """
-        new_name = pipes.quote(new_name)
         proc = self.tmux(
             'rename-session',
             '-t%s' % self.get('session_id'),
@@ -164,7 +162,6 @@ def new_window(self,
         if start_directory:
             # as of 2014-02-08 tmux 1.9-dev doesn't expand ~ in new-window -c.
             start_directory = os.path.expanduser(start_directory)
-            start_directory = pipes.quote(start_directory)
             window_args += ('-c%s' % start_directory,)
 
         window_args += (
diff --git a/tmuxp/testsuite/helpers.py b/tmuxp/testsuite/helpers.py
index d51d1139fe..8d7004fefe 100644
--- a/tmuxp/testsuite/helpers.py
+++ b/tmuxp/testsuite/helpers.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-TEST_SESSION_PREFIX = 'tmuxp_'
+TEST_SESSION_PREFIX = 'test tmuxp_'
 
 
 def get_test_session_name(server, prefix='tmuxp_'):
diff --git a/tmuxp/testsuite/workspacebuilder.py b/tmuxp/testsuite/workspacebuilder.py
index d980bbcbe2..4e73064cf1 100644
--- a/tmuxp/testsuite/workspacebuilder.py
+++ b/tmuxp/testsuite/workspacebuilder.py
@@ -384,6 +384,16 @@ class StartDirectoryTest(TmuxTestCase):
         - echo "hey"
       - shell_command:
         - echo "moo"
+    - window_name: cwd containing a space
+      start_directory: /tmp/foo bar
+      layout: main-horizontal
+      panes:
+      - shell_command:
+        - pwd
+      - shell_command:
+        - echo "hey"
+      - shell_command:
+        - echo "moo"
     - window_name: testsa3
       layout: main-horizontal
       panes:
@@ -405,6 +415,19 @@ class StartDirectoryTest(TmuxTestCase):
         - echo "moo3"
     """
 
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(StartDirectoryTest, self).setUp()
+        if not os.path.exists('/tmp/foo bar'):
+            os.mkdir('/tmp/foo bar')
+            self._temp_dir_created = True
+        else:
+            self._temp_dir_created = False
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        super(StartDirectoryTest, self).tearDown()
+        if self._temp_dir_created:
+            os.rmdir('/tmp/foo bar')
+
     def test_start_directory(self):
 
         sconfig = kaptan.Kaptan(handler='yaml')
@@ -416,10 +439,10 @@ def test_start_directory(self):
         builder.build(session=self.session)
 
         assert(self.session == builder.session)
-        for path in ['/usr/bin', '/dev/', '/usr/', os.getcwd()]:
-            for window in self.session.windows:
-                for p in window.panes:
-                    self.assertTrue(p.get('pane_start_path', path))
+        dirs = ['/usr/bin', '/dev', '/tmp/foo bar', '/usr', os.getcwd()]
+        for path, window in zip(dirs, self.session.windows):
+            for p in window.panes:
+                self.assertEqual(p.get('pane_current_path'), path)
 
 
 class PaneOrderingTest(TmuxTestCase):
diff --git a/tmuxp/window.py b/tmuxp/window.py
index 93439d6edd..dc55f8fcd0 100644
--- a/tmuxp/window.py
+++ b/tmuxp/window.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
     with_statement, unicode_literals
 
 import os
-import pipes
 import logging
 
 from . import util, formats, exc
@@ -378,7 +377,6 @@ def split_window(
         if start_directory:
             # as of 2014-02-08 tmux 1.9-dev doesn't expand ~ in new-window -c.
             start_directory = os.path.expanduser(start_directory)
-            start_directory = pipes.quote(start_directory)
             tmux_args += ('-c%s' % start_directory,)
 
         if not attach: