diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/lex.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/lex.c
index fa364f18d..662c1970a 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/lex.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/lex.c
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ pprompt(void)
 	if(runq->iflag){
 		pstr(err, promptstr);
 		flush(err);
+		if(newwdir){
+			char dir[4096];
+			int fd;
+			if((fd=open("/dev/wdir", OWRITE))>=0){
+				getwd(dir, sizeof(dir));
+				write(fd, dir, strlen(dir));
+				close(fd);
+			}
+			newwdir = 0;
+		}
 		prompt = vlook("prompt");
 		if(prompt->val && prompt->val->next)
 			promptstr = prompt->val->next->word;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h b/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
index 7b7b3b343..eddad8ede 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ union code{
 	char	*s;
 };
 
+int newwdir;
 char *promptstr;
 int doprompt;
 
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
index ede797d30..a29359866 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
@@ -139,14 +139,9 @@ int
 dochdir(char *word)
 {
 	/* report to /dev/wdir if it exists and we're interactive */
-	if(chdir(word)<0) return -1;
-	if(flag['i']!=0){
-		static int wdirfd = -2;
-		if(wdirfd==-2)	/* try only once */
-			wdirfd = open("/dev/wdir", OWRITE|OCEXEC);
-		if(wdirfd>=0)
-			write(wdirfd, word, strlen(word));
-	}
+	if(chdir(word)<0)
+		return -1;
+	newwdir = 1;
 	return 1;
 }