diff --git a/default_app/main.js b/default_app/main.js
index 7dc7c847340f8..7a6e6eaa265b6 100644
--- a/default_app/main.js
+++ b/default_app/main.js
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ function loadApplicationPackage (packagePath) {
     // Override app name and version.
     packagePath = path.resolve(packagePath)
     const packageJsonPath = path.join(packagePath, 'package.json')
+    let appPath
     if (fs.existsSync(packageJsonPath)) {
       let packageJson
       try {
@@ -105,11 +106,12 @@ function loadApplicationPackage (packagePath) {
       }
       app.setPath('userData', path.join(app.getPath('appData'), app.getName()))
       app.setPath('userCache', path.join(app.getPath('cache'), app.getName()))
-      app.setAppPath(packagePath)
+      appPath = packagePath
     }
 
     try {
-      Module._resolveFilename(packagePath, module, true)
+      const filePath = Module._resolveFilename(packagePath, module, true)
+      app.setAppPath(appPath || path.dirname(filePath))
     } catch (e) {
       showErrorMessage(`Unable to find Electron app at ${packagePath}\n\n${e.message}`)
       return
diff --git a/spec/api-app-spec.js b/spec/api-app-spec.js
index 6be9e0bbd9d7b..34edc058a41af 100644
--- a/spec/api-app-spec.js
+++ b/spec/api-app-spec.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const https = require('https')
 const net = require('net')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
+const cp = require('child_process')
 const { ipcRenderer, remote } = require('electron')
 const { emittedOnce } = require('./events-helpers')
 const { closeWindow } = require('./window-helpers')
@@ -556,6 +557,28 @@ describe('app module', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('getAppPath', () => {
+    it('works for directories with package.json', async () => {
+      const { appPath } = await runTestApp('app-path')
+      expect(appPath).to.equal(path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures/api/app-path'))
+    })
+
+    it('works for directories with index.js', async () => {
+      const { appPath } = await runTestApp('app-path/lib')
+      expect(appPath).to.equal(path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures/api/app-path/lib'))
+    })
+
+    it('works for files without extension', async () => {
+      const { appPath } = await runTestApp('app-path/lib/index')
+      expect(appPath).to.equal(path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures/api/app-path/lib'))
+    })
+
+    it('works for files', async () => {
+      const { appPath } = await runTestApp('app-path/lib/index.js')
+      expect(appPath).to.equal(path.resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures/api/app-path/lib'))
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('getPath(name)', () => {
     it('returns paths that exist', () => {
       const paths = [
@@ -1125,3 +1148,16 @@ describe('app module', () => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+async function runTestApp (name, ...args) {
+  const appPath = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'api', name)
+  const electronPath = remote.getGlobal('process').execPath
+  const appProcess = cp.spawn(electronPath, [appPath, ...args])
+
+  let output = ''
+  appProcess.stdout.on('data', (data) => { output += data })
+
+  await emittedOnce(appProcess.stdout, 'end')
+
+  return JSON.parse(output)
+}
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/lib/index.js b/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/lib/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d1a5732edca51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/lib/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+const { app } = require('electron')
+
+const payload = {
+  appPath: app.getAppPath()
+}
+
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify(payload))
+process.stdout.end()
+
+process.exit()
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/package.json b/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8f9e09dbdabb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/api/app-path/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "app-path",
+  "main": "lib/index.js"
+}