diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/config/PathManager.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/config/PathManager.cs
index d1b14a9565..4226cae122 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/config/PathManager.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/config/PathManager.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
                         string tmp = Global.Config.BasePath;
                         tmp = tmp.Remove(0, 1);
                         tmp = tmp.Insert(0, GetExePathAbsolute());
+                        return tmp;
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -90,10 +91,17 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
             if ((path[0] > 'A' && path[0] < 'Z') || (path[0] > 'a' && path[0] < 'z'))
             {
+                //C:\
                 if (path.Length > 2 && path[1] == ':' && path[2] == '\\')
                     return path;
                 else
-                    return GetExePathAbsolute(); //bad path
+                {
+                    //file:\ is an acceptable path as well, and what FileBrowserDialog returns
+                    if (path.Length >= 6 && path.Substring(0, 6) == "file:\\")
+                        return path;
+                    else
+                        return GetExePathAbsolute(); //bad path
+                }
             }
 
             //all pad paths default to EXE
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/RamWatch.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/RamWatch.cs
index ae0597820d..f266f9985f 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/RamWatch.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/RamWatch.cs
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
             var ofd = new OpenFileDialog();
             if (currentWatchFile.Length > 0)
                 ofd.FileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(currentWatchFile);
-            ofd.InitialDirectory = Global.Config.WatchPath;
+            ofd.InitialDirectory = PathManager.MakeAbsolutePath(Global.Config.WatchPath);
             ofd.Filter = "Watch Files (*.wch)|*.wch|All Files|*.*";
             ofd.RestoreDirectory = true;
 
@@ -632,10 +632,20 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
         {
             var sfd = new SaveFileDialog();
             if (currentWatchFile.Length > 0)
+            {
                 sfd.FileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(currentWatchFile);
+                sfd.InitialDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(currentWatchFile);
+            }
             else if (!(Global.Emulator is NullEmulator))
+            {
                 sfd.FileName = Global.Game.Name;
-            sfd.InitialDirectory = Global.Config.WatchPath;
+                sfd.InitialDirectory = PathManager.MakeAbsolutePath(Global.Config.WatchPath);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                sfd.FileName = "NULL";
+                sfd.InitialDirectory = PathManager.MakeAbsolutePath(Global.Config.WatchPath);
+            }
             sfd.Filter = "Watch Files (*.wch)|*.wch|All Files|*.*";
             sfd.RestoreDirectory = true;
             Global.Sound.StopSound();