diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ce3055afc..2a2ba4efc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ non-functioning `cider-test-jump` from test reports.
 `cider-repl-set-ns`'s behavior for ClojureScript.
 * [#950](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/issues/950): Eval `ns` form in the
 `user` namespace when using `cider-interactive-eval`.
+* [#954](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/issues/954): Detect properly a project's root
+when in buffer that's not visiting a file (e.g. a REPL buffer).
 
 ## 0.8.2 / 2014-12-21
 
diff --git a/nrepl-client.el b/nrepl-client.el
index fe2a6a2c2..5c77a65b6 100644
--- a/nrepl-client.el
+++ b/nrepl-client.el
@@ -253,9 +253,9 @@ Bind the value of the provided KEYS and execute BODY."
 
 (defun nrepl-current-dir ()
   "Return the directory of the current buffer."
-  (or (-when-let (file-name (buffer-file-name (current-buffer)))
-        (file-name-directory file-name))
-      list-buffers-directory))
+  (if buffer-file-name
+      (file-name-directory buffer-file-name)
+    default-directory))
 
 (defun nrepl-local-host-p (host)
   "Return t if HOST is local."
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ process."
     (nrepl-make-connection-default client-buf)
     (nrepl--init-client-sessions client-proc)
     (nrepl--init-capabilities client-buf)
-    
+
     (with-current-buffer client-buf
       (run-hooks 'nrepl-connected-hook))