src/nnn.c | 2 +-

diff --git a/src/nnn.c b/src/nnn.c
index 46e95c5f7964051495089b34eeaa63c7acf7b909..2878a14911789d59dc6be211d36032b46b709e19 100644
--- a/src/nnn.c
+++ b/src/nnn.c
@@ -8716,7 +8716,7 @@ 		} else if (argc == optind) {
 			/* Start in the current directory */
 			char *startpath = getenv("PWD");
 
-			initpath = startpath ? xstrdup(startpath) : getcwd(NULL, 0);
+			initpath = (startpath && *startpath) ? xstrdup(startpath) : getcwd(NULL, 0);
 			if (!initpath)
 				initpath = "/";
 		} else { /* Open a file */