diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/gui/interface_parser.h b/code/nel/include/nel/gui/interface_parser.h
index 2bf1df9a8..c1b3fa109 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/gui/interface_parser.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/gui/interface_parser.h
@@ -353,7 +353,15 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		std::map< std::string, std::string > pointerSettings;
 		std::map< std::string, std::map< std::string, std::string > > keySettings;
 
+		std::string _WorkDir;
+
 	public:
+		/// Sets the working directory, where files should be looked for
+		void setWorkDir( const std::string &workdir ){ _WorkDir = workdir; }
+
+		/// Looks up a file in either the working directory or using CPath::lookup
+		std::string lookup( const std::string &file );
+
 		void initLUA();
 		void uninitLUA();
 		bool isLuaInitialized() const{ return luaInitialized; }
diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/gui/parser.h b/code/nel/include/nel/gui/parser.h
index db868f70d..0378c22ec 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/gui/parser.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/gui/parser.h
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		virtual bool serializePointerSettings( xmlNodePtr parentNode ) const = 0;
 		virtual bool serializeKeySettings( xmlNodePtr parentNode ) const = 0;
 		virtual CViewBase* createClass( const std::string &name ) = 0;
+		virtual void setWorkDir( const std::string &workdir ) = 0;
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/code/nel/src/gui/interface_parser.cpp b/code/nel/src/gui/interface_parser.cpp
index b26a403c4..f052224ff 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/gui/interface_parser.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/gui/interface_parser.cpp
@@ -233,6 +233,22 @@ namespace NLGUI
 		destStream.seek(0, NLMISC::IStream::begin);
 	}
 
+	std::string CInterfaceParser::lookup( const std::string &file )
+	{
+		std::string filename;
+		
+		if( editorMode && !_WorkDir.empty() )
+		{
+			std::string wdpath = CPath::standardizePath( _WorkDir ) + file;
+			if( CFile::fileExists( wdpath ) )
+				filename = wdpath;
+		}
+		if( filename.empty() )
+			filename = CPath::lookup( file );
+
+		return filename;
+	}
+
 	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	bool CInterfaceParser::parseInterface (const std::vector<std::string> & strings, bool reload, bool isFilename, bool checkInData)
 	{
@@ -270,7 +286,7 @@ namespace NLGUI
 			{
 				//get the first file document pointer
 				firstFileName = *it;
-				string filename = CPath::lookup(firstFileName);
+				string filename = lookup( firstFileName );
 				bool isInData = false;
 				string::size_type pos = filename.find ("@");
 				if (pos != string::npos)
@@ -283,7 +299,7 @@ namespace NLGUI
 						isInData = true;
 				}
 
-				if ((needCheck && !isInData) || !file.open (CPath::lookup(firstFileName)))
+				if ((needCheck && !isInData) || !file.open (lookup(firstFileName)))
 				{
 					// todo hulud interface syntax error
 					nlwarning ("could not open file %s, skipping xml parsing",firstFileName.c_str());
@@ -331,7 +347,7 @@ namespace NLGUI
 				{
 					saveParseResult = true;
 					std::string archive = CPath::lookup(nextFileName + "_compressed", false, false);
-					std::string current = CPath::lookup(nextFileName, false, false);
+					std::string current = lookup(nextFileName);
 					if (!archive.empty() && !current.empty())
 					{
 						if (CFile::getFileModificationDate(current) <= CFile::getFileModificationDate(archive))
@@ -351,7 +367,7 @@ namespace NLGUI
 				{
 					if (isFilename)
 					{
-						if (!file.open(CPath::lookup(nextFileName, false, false)))
+						if (!file.open(lookup(nextFileName)))
 						{
 							// todo hulud interface syntax error
 							nlwarning ("could not open file %s, skipping xml parsing",nextFileName.c_str());
diff --git a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/gui_editor_window.cpp b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/gui_editor_window.cpp
index ca5e240e7..5b3d835a2 100644
--- a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/gui_editor_window.cpp
+++ b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/gui_editor_window.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ namespace GUIEditor
 		currentProject = projectFiles.projectName.c_str();
 		currentProjectFile = fileName;
 		projectWindow->setupFiles( projectFiles );
+		GUICtrl->setWorkDir( _lastDir );
+
 		if( GUICtrl->parse( projectFiles ) )
 		{
 			hierarchyView->buildHierarchy( projectFiles.masterGroup );
diff --git a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.cpp b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.cpp
index 03f784944..8f0f56711 100644
--- a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.cpp
+++ b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.cpp
@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ namespace GUIEditor
 		}
 	}
 
+	void NelGUICtrl::setWorkDir( const QString &dir )
+	{
+		IParser *parser = CWidgetManager::getInstance()->getParser();
+		parser->setWorkDir( std::string( dir.toUtf8().constData() ) );
+	}
+
 	QWidget* NelGUICtrl::getViewPort()
 	{
 		return w;
diff --git a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.h b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.h
index b3c68ff32..63118d947 100644
--- a/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.h
+++ b/code/studio/src/plugins/gui_editor/nelgui_ctrl.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ namespace GUIEditor
 		void show();
 		void hide();
 
+		void setWorkDir( const QString &dir );
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
 		void guiLoadComplete();