diff --git a/crates/engine/src/render_queue.rs b/crates/engine/src/render_queue.rs
index 56754e7c..74b33315 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/render_queue.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/render_queue.rs
@@ -362,8 +362,15 @@ impl Session {
         // Settings ▸ Export ▸ Default Output Folder, else the project's folder.
         let folder = self.prefs.export.default_output_folder.trim();
         let base = (!folder.is_empty()).then(|| std::path::PathBuf::from(folder));
-        let base =
-            base.or_else(|| self.path.as_deref().and_then(|s| std::path::Path::new(s).parent().map(|d| d.to_path_buf())).filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()));
+        // A project saved under a bare filename has the empty path as its parent. It sits in the
+        // working directory, so resolve against that rather than falling through to the
+        // unsaved-project default below (#1427).
+        let base = base.or_else(|| {
+            self.path
+                .as_deref()
+                .and_then(|s| std::path::Path::new(s).parent())
+                .map(|d| if d.as_os_str().is_empty() { std::path::PathBuf::from(".") } else { d.to_path_buf() })
+        });
         // Unsaved project: ~/Movies, else the home folder (as FilmCraft's exports do). The working directory
         // is `/` for an app started from the macOS Finder, where nothing can be written (#446).
         let home = std::env::var_os("HOME").or_else(|| std::env::var_os("USERPROFILE")).map(std::path::PathBuf::from);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests_m145.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests_m145.rs
index e52e3ffb..93125af1 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests_m145.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests_m145.rs
@@ -280,6 +280,28 @@ fn import_export_helpers() {
     assert_eq!(p.recent_fonts_shown(), ["A".to_string(), "C".to_string()]);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn render_queue_resolves_a_bare_project_filename_against_the_working_directory() {
+    use effectcraft_project::render_queue::{OutputFormat, RenderQueueItem};
+    let mut s = session();
+    let cid = s.active_comp_id().unwrap();
+    let mut item = RenderQueueItem::new(1, cid);
+    item.output.output = "clip.mp4".into();
+    item.output.format = OutputFormat::H264;
+
+    // `--project ./proj.ecproj`: the parent is `.`, so the output goes beside the project.
+    s.path = Some("./proj.ecproj".into());
+    let dotted = s.resolve_output(&item).unwrap();
+
+    // `--project proj.ecproj`: the parent is the empty path, which must mean the same folder
+    // rather than the unsaved-project default (#1427).
+    s.path = Some("proj.ecproj".into());
+    let bare = s.resolve_output(&item).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(PathBuf::from(&bare), PathBuf::from(&dotted), "a bare filename resolved to {bare} instead of {dotted}");
+    assert_eq!(PathBuf::from(&bare), PathBuf::from("./clip.mp4"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn render_queue_uses_default_folder_bit_depth_names_and_segments() {
     use effectcraft_project::render_queue::{OutputFormat, RenderQueueItem};