diff --git a/minimal/do b/minimal/do
index 61889d9..3091fae 100755
--- a/minimal/do
+++ b/minimal/do
@@ -208,10 +208,11 @@ _find_dofiles()
 	_dirsplit "$dofile"
 	dodir=$_dirsplit_dir
 	dofile=$_dirsplit_base
+	[ -n "$dodir" ] && dodir=${dodir%/}/
+	[ -e "$dodir$dofile" ] && return 0
 	for i in $(seq 100); do
 		[ -n "$dodir" ] && dodir=${dodir%/}/
 		#echo "_find_dofiles: '$dodir' '$dofile'" >&2
-		[ -e "$dodir$dofile" ] && return 0
 		_find_dofiles_pwd "$dodir" "$dofile" && return 0
 		newdir=$(_normpath "${dodir}..")
 		[ "$newdir" = "$dodir" ] && break
diff --git a/t/260-whichdo/all.do b/t/260-whichdo/all.do
index 1beaa06..d4d93b6 100644
--- a/t/260-whichdo/all.do
+++ b/t/260-whichdo/all.do
@@ -1 +1 @@
-redo exists nonexists
+redo exists nonexists defaults
diff --git a/t/260-whichdo/defaults.do b/t/260-whichdo/defaults.do
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fe3214
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/260-whichdo/defaults.do
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+exec >&2
+
+a=$(cd fakesub2 && redo-whichdo d/snork)
+# if sh doesn't abort after the above, then it found a .do file as expected
+
+b=$(cat <<EOF
+d/snork.do
+d/default.do
+default.do
+EOF
+)
+
+if [ "$a" != "$b" ]; then
+    printf 'redo-whichdo mismatch.\n\ngot:\n%s\n\nexpected:\n%s\n' "$a" "$b"
+    exit 11
+fi
diff --git a/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/default.do b/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/default.do
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..397db75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/default.do
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+:
diff --git a/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/snork.do b/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/snork.do
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..397db75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/260-whichdo/fakesub2/snork.do
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+: