diff --git a/lib/controllers/root-controller.js b/lib/controllers/root-controller.js
index 708fdc3561..a7ec4f151f 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/root-controller.js
+++ b/lib/controllers/root-controller.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import GitTimingsView from '../views/git-timings-view';
 import Conflict from '../models/conflicts/conflict';
 import {getEndpoint} from '../models/endpoint';
 import Switchboard from '../switchboard';
-import {WorkdirContextPoolPropType} from '../prop-types';
+import {WorkdirContextPoolPropType, WorkdirCachePropType} from '../prop-types';
 import {destroyFilePatchPaneItems, destroyEmptyFilePatchPaneItems, autobind} from '../helpers';
 import {GitError} from '../git-shell-out-strategy';
 import {incrementCounter, addEvent} from '../reporter-proxy';
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export default class RootController extends React.Component {
     // Models
     loginModel: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     workdirContextPool: WorkdirContextPoolPropType.isRequired,
+    workdirCache: WorkdirCachePropType.isRequired,
     repository: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     resolutionProgress: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     statusBar: PropTypes.object,
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ export default class RootController extends React.Component {
             command="github:view-staged-changes-for-current-file"
             callback={this.viewStagedChangesForCurrentFile}
           />
+          <Command
+            command="github:select-active-pane-directory"
+            callback={this.selectActivePaneWorkDir}
+          />
           <Command
             command="github:close-all-diff-views"
             callback={this.destroyFilePatchPaneItems}
@@ -662,6 +667,52 @@ export default class RootController extends React.Component {
     return this.props.workspace.toggle(CommitPreviewItem.buildURI(workdir));
   }
 
+  selectActivePaneWorkDir = async () => {
+    const paneItem = this.props.workspace.getCenter().getActivePaneItem();
+
+    if (!paneItem) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let itemPath = null;
+
+    // Likely GitHub package provided pane item
+    if (typeof paneItem.getWorkingDirectory === 'function') {
+      itemPath = path.normalize(paneItem.getWorkingDirectory());
+    }
+
+    // TextEditor-like
+    if (typeof paneItem.getPath === 'function') {
+      itemPath = path.normalize(paneItem.getPath());
+    }
+
+    // Oh well
+    if (!itemPath) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Find valid git working directory
+    const workdir = await this.props.workdirCache.find(itemPath);
+
+    if (workdir) {
+      this.props.changeWorkingDirectory(workdir);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // At this point, there is no parent git working directory
+    // But, we can still assign the current context to a valid context
+    // if the file is a child of a current working directory
+    const workdirs = this.props.workdirContextPool.getCurrentWorkDirs();
+    const itemTokens = itemPath.split(path.sep);
+    for (const dir of workdirs) {
+      const tokens = path.normalize(dir).split(path.sep).filter(t => t.length);
+      if (tokens.every((t, i) => itemTokens[i] === t)) {
+        // is a child of
+        this.props.changeWorkingDirectory(dir);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   showWaterfallDiagnostics() {
     this.props.workspace.open(GitTimingsView.buildURI());
   }
diff --git a/lib/github-package.js b/lib/github-package.js
index f2fb23f72d..902bc52b31 100644
--- a/lib/github-package.js
+++ b/lib/github-package.js
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ export default class GithubPackage {
         confirm={this.confirm}
         currentWindow={this.currentWindow}
         workdirContextPool={this.contextPool}
+        workdirCache={this.workdirCache}
         loginModel={this.loginModel}
         repository={this.getActiveRepository()}
         resolutionProgress={this.getActiveResolutionProgress()}
diff --git a/lib/prop-types.js b/lib/prop-types.js
index 29fc33f8e1..d28870b09d 100644
--- a/lib/prop-types.js
+++ b/lib/prop-types.js
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ export const WorkdirContextPoolPropType = PropTypes.shape({
   getContext: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 });
 
+export const WorkdirCachePropType = PropTypes.shape({
+  find: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+});
+
 export const GithubLoginModelPropType = PropTypes.shape({
   getToken: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   setToken: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
diff --git a/test/controllers/root-controller.test.js b/test/controllers/root-controller.test.js
index c2eb72e890..bebd26c59e 100644
--- a/test/controllers/root-controller.test.js
+++ b/test/controllers/root-controller.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {cloneRepository, buildRepository} from '../helpers';
 import {multiFilePatchBuilder} from '../builder/patch';
 import Repository from '../../lib/models/repository';
 import WorkdirContextPool from '../../lib/models/workdir-context-pool';
+import WorkdirCache from '../../lib/models/workdir-cache';
 import ResolutionProgress from '../../lib/models/conflicts/resolution-progress';
 import RemoteSet from '../../lib/models/remote-set';
 import Remote from '../../lib/models/remote';
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ import RootController from '../../lib/controllers/root-controller';
 describe('RootController', function() {
   let atomEnv, app;
   let workspace, commands, notificationManager, tooltips, config, confirm, deserializers, grammars, project;
-  let workdirContextPool;
+  let workdirContextPool, workdirCache;
+  let changeWorkingDirectory;
 
   beforeEach(function() {
     atomEnv = global.buildAtomEnvironment();
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ describe('RootController', function() {
     config = atomEnv.config;
     project = atomEnv.project;
 
+    workdirCache = new WorkdirCache();
     workdirContextPool = new WorkdirContextPool();
 
     const loginModel = new GithubLoginModel(InMemoryStrategy);
@@ -53,6 +56,7 @@ describe('RootController', function() {
     const emptyResolutionProgress = new ResolutionProgress();
 
     confirm = sinon.stub(atomEnv, 'confirm');
+    changeWorkingDirectory = sinon.spy();
     app = (
       <RootController
         workspace={workspace}
@@ -69,6 +73,7 @@ describe('RootController', function() {
 
         loginModel={loginModel}
         workdirContextPool={workdirContextPool}
+        workdirCache={workdirCache}
         repository={absentRepository}
         resolutionProgress={emptyResolutionProgress}
 
@@ -77,6 +82,8 @@ describe('RootController', function() {
 
         startOpen={false}
         startRevealed={false}
+
+        changeWorkingDirectory={changeWorkingDirectory}
       />
     );
   });
@@ -355,6 +362,15 @@ describe('RootController', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('selectActivePaneWorkDir()', function() {
+    it('does not update if there is no active pane', function() {
+      const wrapper = shallow(app);
+      wrapper.find('Command[command="github:select-active-pane-directory"]').prop('callback')();
+
+      assert.isTrue(changeWorkingDirectory.notCalled);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('openCloneDialog()', function() {
     let clone;