diff --git a/src/connection/database/index.js b/src/connection/database/index.js
index 1aba5cb29..86c69cdb2 100644
--- a/src/connection/database/index.js
+++ b/src/connection/database/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 import { dataFns } from '../../utils/data_utils';
 import sync from '../../sync';
 import trim from 'trim';
+import { defaultDirectory } from '../../core/tenant';
 
 const { get, initNS, tget, tset } = dataFns(["database"]);
 
@@ -224,7 +225,9 @@ export function defaultDatabaseConnectionName(m) {
 }
 
 export function databaseConnection(m) {
-  return defaultDatabaseConnection(m) || l.connection(m, "database");
+  return defaultDirectory(m) || 
+          defaultDatabaseConnection(m) || 
+          l.connection(m, "database");
 }
 
 export function databaseConnectionName(m) {
diff --git a/src/core/tenant/index.js b/src/core/tenant/index.js
index dace0c29c..9e0b4d5d6 100644
--- a/src/core/tenant/index.js
+++ b/src/core/tenant/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import Immutable, { List, Map } from 'immutable';
 import { dataFns } from '../../utils/data_utils';
+import * as l from '../index';
 
 const { initNS, get } = dataFns(["client"]);
 
@@ -39,7 +40,8 @@ export function initTenant(m, client_id, client) {
 
 function formatTenant(client_id, o) {
   return new Immutable.fromJS({
-    connections: formatTenantConnections(client_id, o)
+    connections: formatTenantConnections(client_id, o),
+    default_directory: o.default_directory || null
   })
 }
 
@@ -94,3 +96,12 @@ function formatTenantConnection(connectionType, connection) {
 export function tenantConnections(m) {
   return get(m, "connections", emptyConnections);
 }
+
+export function defaultDirectory(m) {
+  const name = defaultDirectoryName(m);
+  return name && l.findConnection(m, name);
+}
+
+export function defaultDirectoryName(m) {
+  return get(m, "default_directory", null);
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/classic.js b/src/engine/classic.js
index b8b48470e..f40c45ebb 100644
--- a/src/engine/classic.js
+++ b/src/engine/classic.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   isInCorpNetwork,
   quickAuthConnection
 } from '../connection/enterprise';
+import { defaultDirectory, defaultDirectoryName } from '../core/tenant';
 import { initSocial, useBigButtons } from '../connection/social/index';
 import { setEmail } from '../field/email';
 import { setUsername } from '../field/username';
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ function validateAllowedConnections(m) {
     m = l.stop(m, error);
   }
 
+  if (defaultDirectoryName(m) && !defaultDirectory(m)) {
+    l.error(m, `The account's default directory "${defaultDirectoryName(m)}" is not enabled.`);
+  }
+
   if (defaultDatabaseConnectionName(m) && !defaultDatabaseConnection(m)) {
     l.warn(m, `The provided default database connection "${defaultDatabaseConnectionName(m)}" is not enabled.`);
   }