diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 296ae63da2a..70d6ba53e58 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Note that this project **does not** adhere to [Semantic Versioning](http://semve
 - An SLR can now be started from the SLR itself. [#9131](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/9131), [koppor#601](https://github.com/koppor/jabref/issues/601)
 - Implement a new ISBN Fetcher ([doi-to-bibtex-converter.herokuapp.com](http://doi-to-bibtex-converter.herokuapp.com) as source). [#9145](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/9145)
 - We added support for the Ukrainian and Arabic languages. [#9236](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/9236), [#9243](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/9243)
+- The default file directory of a library is used as default directory for [unlinked file lookup](https://docs.jabref.org/collect/findunlinkedfiles#link-the-pdfs-to-your-bib-library). [koppor#546](https://github.com/koppor/jabref/issues/546)
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/externalfiles/UnlinkedFilesDialogView.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/externalfiles/UnlinkedFilesDialogView.java
index 7202751ef5e..13ddbe4bd34 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/externalfiles/UnlinkedFilesDialogView.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/externalfiles/UnlinkedFilesDialogView.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package org.jabref.gui.externalfiles;
 
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+
 import javax.swing.undo.UndoManager;
 
 import javafx.application.Platform;
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@
 import org.jabref.gui.util.ViewModelTreeCellFactory;
 import org.jabref.logic.importer.ImportFormatReader;
 import org.jabref.logic.l10n.Localization;
+import org.jabref.model.database.BibDatabaseContext;
 import org.jabref.model.util.FileUpdateMonitor;
 import org.jabref.preferences.PreferencesService;
 
@@ -86,6 +89,8 @@ public class UnlinkedFilesDialogView extends BaseDialog<Void> {
     private final ControlsFxVisualizer validationVisualizer;
     private UnlinkedFilesDialogViewModel viewModel;
 
+    private BibDatabaseContext bibDatabaseContext;
+
     public UnlinkedFilesDialogView() {
         this.validationVisualizer = new ControlsFxVisualizer();
 
@@ -109,6 +114,8 @@ public UnlinkedFilesDialogView() {
     private void initialize() {
         viewModel = new UnlinkedFilesDialogViewModel(dialogService, undoManager, fileUpdateMonitor, preferencesService, stateManager, taskExecutor, importFormatReader);
 
+        this.bibDatabaseContext = stateManager.getActiveDatabase().orElseThrow(() -> new NullPointerException("No active library"));
+
         progressDisplay.progressProperty().bind(viewModel.progressValueProperty());
         progressText.textProperty().bind(viewModel.progressTextProperty());
         progressPane.managedProperty().bind(viewModel.taskActiveProperty());
@@ -160,6 +167,8 @@ private void initDirectorySelection() {
         fileSortCombo.setItems(viewModel.getSorters());
         fileSortCombo.valueProperty().bindBidirectional(viewModel.selectedSortProperty());
         fileSortCombo.getSelectionModel().selectFirst();
+
+        directoryPathField.setText(bibDatabaseContext.getFirstExistingFileDir(preferencesService.getFilePreferences()).map(Path::toString).orElse(""));
     }
 
     private void initUnlinkedFilesList() {