diff --git a/Plugins/org.mitk.gui.qt.application/src/QmitkFileOpenAction.cpp b/Plugins/org.mitk.gui.qt.application/src/QmitkFileOpenAction.cpp
index f8cbab6c8a..0752d958aa 100644
--- a/Plugins/org.mitk.gui.qt.application/src/QmitkFileOpenAction.cpp
+++ b/Plugins/org.mitk.gui.qt.application/src/QmitkFileOpenAction.cpp
@@ -1,123 +1,192 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 
 #include "QmitkFileOpenAction.h"
 
 #include "internal/org_mitk_gui_qt_application_Activator.h"
 
+#include <mitkIDataStorageService.h>
+#include <mitkNodePredicateProperty.h>
 #include <mitkWorkbenchUtil.h>
 
 #include <QmitkIOUtil.h>
 
 #include <berryIPreferences.h>
 
 #include <QFileDialog>
 
+namespace
+{
+  mitk::DataStorage::Pointer GetDataStorage()
+  {
+    auto context = mitk::org_mitk_gui_qt_application_Activator::GetContext();
+
+    if (nullptr == context)
+      return nullptr;
+
+    auto dataStorageServiceReference = context->getServiceReference<mitk::IDataStorageService>();
+
+    if (!dataStorageServiceReference)
+      return nullptr;
+
+    auto dataStorageService = context->getService<mitk::IDataStorageService>(dataStorageServiceReference);
+
+    if (nullptr == dataStorageService)
+      return nullptr;
+
+    auto dataStorageReference = dataStorageService->GetDataStorage();
+
+    if (dataStorageReference.IsNull())
+      return nullptr;
+
+    return dataStorageReference->GetDataStorage();
+  }
+
+  mitk::DataNode::Pointer GetFirstSelectedNode()
+  {
+    auto dataStorage = GetDataStorage();
+
+    if (dataStorage.IsNull())
+      return nullptr;
+
+    auto selectedNodes = dataStorage->GetSubset(mitk::NodePredicateProperty::New("selected", mitk::BoolProperty::New(true)));
+
+    if (selectedNodes->empty())
+      return nullptr;
+
+    return selectedNodes->front();
+  }
+
+  QString GetPathOfFirstSelectedNode()
+  {
+    auto firstSelectedNode = GetFirstSelectedNode();
+
+    if (firstSelectedNode.IsNull())
+      return "";
+
+    auto data = firstSelectedNode->GetData();
+
+    if (nullptr == data)
+      return "";
+
+    auto pathProperty = data->GetConstProperty("path");
+
+    if (pathProperty.IsNull())
+      return "";
+
+    return QFileInfo(QString::fromStdString(pathProperty->GetValueAsString())).canonicalPath();
+  }
+}
+
 class QmitkFileOpenActionPrivate
 {
 public:
 
   void init ( berry::IWorkbenchWindow* window, QmitkFileOpenAction* action )
   {
     m_Window = window;
     action->setText("&Open File...");
     action->setToolTip("Open data files (images, surfaces,...)");
 
     QObject::connect(action, SIGNAL(triggered(bool)), action, SLOT(Run()));
   }
 
   berry::IPreferences::Pointer GetPreferences() const
   {
     berry::IPreferencesService* prefService = mitk::PluginActivator::GetInstance()->GetPreferencesService();
     if (prefService)
     {
       return prefService->GetSystemPreferences()->Node("/General");
     }
     return berry::IPreferences::Pointer(nullptr);
   }
 
   QString getLastFileOpenPath() const
   {
     berry::IPreferences::Pointer prefs = GetPreferences();
     if(prefs.IsNotNull())
     {
       return prefs->Get("LastFileOpenPath", "");
     }
     return QString();
   }
 
   void setLastFileOpenPath(const QString& path) const
   {
     berry::IPreferences::Pointer prefs = GetPreferences();
     if(prefs.IsNotNull())
     {
       prefs->Put("LastFileOpenPath", path);
       prefs->Flush();
     }
   }
 
   bool GetOpenEditor() const
   {
     berry::IPreferences::Pointer prefs = GetPreferences();
     if(prefs.IsNotNull())
     {
       return prefs->GetBool("OpenEditor", true);
     }
     return true;
   }
 
   berry::IWorkbenchWindow* m_Window;
 };
 
 QmitkFileOpenAction::QmitkFileOpenAction(berry::IWorkbenchWindow::Pointer window)
   : QAction(nullptr), d(new QmitkFileOpenActionPrivate)
 {
   d->init(window.GetPointer(), this);
 }
 
 QmitkFileOpenAction::QmitkFileOpenAction(const QIcon & icon, berry::IWorkbenchWindow::Pointer window)
   : QAction(nullptr), d(new QmitkFileOpenActionPrivate)
 {
   d->init(window.GetPointer(), this);
   this->setIcon(icon);
 }
 
 QmitkFileOpenAction::QmitkFileOpenAction(const QIcon& icon, berry::IWorkbenchWindow* window)
   : QAction(nullptr), d(new QmitkFileOpenActionPrivate)
 {
   d->init(window, this);
   this->setIcon(icon);
 }
 
 QmitkFileOpenAction::~QmitkFileOpenAction()
 {
 }
 
 void QmitkFileOpenAction::Run()
 {
+  auto path = GetPathOfFirstSelectedNode();
+
+  if (path.isEmpty())
+    path = d->getLastFileOpenPath();
 
   // Ask the user for a list of files to open
   QStringList fileNames = QFileDialog::getOpenFileNames(nullptr, "Open",
-                                                        d->getLastFileOpenPath(),
+                                                        path,
                                                         QmitkIOUtil::GetFileOpenFilterString());
 
   if (fileNames.empty())
     return;
 
   d->setLastFileOpenPath(fileNames.front());
   mitk::WorkbenchUtil::LoadFiles(fileNames, berry::IWorkbenchWindow::Pointer(d->m_Window),
                                  d->GetOpenEditor());
 }