diff --git a/com.google.eclipse.elt.view/src/com/google/eclipse/elt/view/ui/TerminalView.java b/com.google.eclipse.elt.view/src/com/google/eclipse/elt/view/ui/TerminalView.java
index fa8c751..651fa15 100644
--- a/com.google.eclipse.elt.view/src/com/google/eclipse/elt/view/ui/TerminalView.java
+++ b/com.google.eclipse.elt.view/src/com/google/eclipse/elt/view/ui/TerminalView.java
@@ -8,34 +8,48 @@
  */
 package com.google.eclipse.elt.view.ui;
 
-import static org.eclipse.core.runtime.Path.fromOSString;
-import static org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status.OK_STATUS;
-import static org.eclipse.jface.resource.JFaceResources.TEXT_FONT;
-import static org.eclipse.jface.window.Window.OK;
-import static org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage.VIEW_ACTIVATE;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.Activator.*;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.ImageKeys.*;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.ColorsAndFontsPreferences.*;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.GeneralPreferences.*;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.ui.Messages.*;
-import static com.google.eclipse.elt.view.util.Platform.userHomeDirectory;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.emulator.control.ITerminalListener;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.emulator.provisional.api.TerminalState;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.Activator;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.ImageKeys;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.connector.LifeCycleListener;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.AbstractPreferencesChangeListener;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.ColorsAndFontsPreferences;
+import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.GeneralPreferences;
 
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.*;
-import org.eclipse.jface.action.*;
-import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.*;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Path;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
+import org.eclipse.jface.action.Action;
+import org.eclipse.jface.action.IToolBarManager;
+import org.eclipse.jface.action.Separator;
+import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.IInputValidator;
+import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.InputDialog;
 import org.eclipse.jface.resource.JFaceResources;
-import org.eclipse.jface.util.*;
+import org.eclipse.jface.util.IPropertyChangeListener;
+import org.eclipse.jface.util.PropertyChangeEvent;
+import org.eclipse.jface.window.Window;
 import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Font;
-import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.*;
-import org.eclipse.ui.*;
-import org.eclipse.ui.contexts.*;
+import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
+import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
+import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
+import org.eclipse.ui.IMemento;
+import org.eclipse.ui.ISaveablePart2;
+import org.eclipse.ui.IViewPart;
+import org.eclipse.ui.IViewSite;
+import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage;
+import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPartSite;
+import org.eclipse.ui.PartInitException;
+import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
+import org.eclipse.ui.contexts.IContextActivation;
+import org.eclipse.ui.contexts.IContextService;
 import org.eclipse.ui.part.ViewPart;
 import org.eclipse.ui.progress.UIJob;
 
-import com.google.eclipse.elt.emulator.control.ITerminalListener;
-import com.google.eclipse.elt.emulator.provisional.api.TerminalState;
-import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.connector.LifeCycleListener;
-import com.google.eclipse.elt.view.preferences.AbstractPreferencesChangeListener;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.UUID;
 
 /**
  * @author alruiz@google.com (Alex Ruiz)
@@ -70,8 +84,6 @@
     openNewTerminalView(workingDirectory);
   }
 
-  private static int freshTerminalId = 0;
-
   /**
    * Opens a new {@link TerminalView}.
    *
@@ -79,17 +91,18 @@
    */
   private static void openNewTerminalView(IPath workingDirectory) {
     IWorkbenchPage page = PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage();
-    IPath safeWorkingDirectory = (workingDirectory != null) ? workingDirectory : userHomeDirectory();
+    IPath safeWorkingDirectory =
+        (workingDirectory != null) ? workingDirectory : getDefaultWorkingDirectory();
     try {
       String directoryName = safeWorkingDirectory.lastSegment();
       // Use of a freshTerminalId to force freshness of the identifier.
-      String secondaryId = Integer.toString(freshTerminalId);
-      freshTerminalId++;
-      TerminalView view = (TerminalView) page.showView(VIEW_ID, secondaryId, VIEW_ACTIVATE);
+      String secondaryId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
+      TerminalView view =
+          (TerminalView) page.showView(VIEW_ID, secondaryId, IWorkbenchPage.VIEW_ACTIVATE);
       view.setPartName(directoryName);
       view.open(safeWorkingDirectory);
     } catch (PartInitException e) {
-      log("Unable to create Terminal View", e);
+      Activator.log("Unable to create Terminal View", e);
     }
   }
 
@@ -101,13 +114,37 @@
   @Override public void saveState(IMemento memento) {
     saveState(memento, SCROLL_LOCK_ENABLED, String.valueOf(terminalWidget.isScrollLockEnabled()));
     saveState(memento, TITLE_STATE_TYPE, getPartName());
-    saveState(memento, WORKING_DIRECTORY_STATE_TYPE, workingDirectory.toOSString());
+    if (workingDirectory != null) {      
+      saveState(memento, WORKING_DIRECTORY_STATE_TYPE, workingDirectory.toOSString());
+    }
   }
 
   private void saveState(IMemento memento, String type, String data) {
     IMemento child = memento.createChild(type);
     child.putTextData(data);
   }
+  
+  /**
+   * Returns a non-{@code null} directory to be used as the default working directory if one isn't
+   * explicitly provided.
+   */
+  private static IPath getDefaultWorkingDirectory() {
+    File homeDirectory = new File(System.getProperty("user.home"));
+    if (homeDirectory.isDirectory()) {
+      return Path.fromOSString(homeDirectory.getAbsolutePath());
+    }
+    File currentDirectory = new File(System.getProperty("user.dir"));
+    if (currentDirectory.isDirectory()) {
+      return Path.fromOSString(currentDirectory.getAbsolutePath());
+    }
+    // If all else fails, pick the first root we can find.
+    for (File root : File.listRoots()) {
+     if (root.isDirectory()) {
+       return Path.fromOSString(root.getAbsolutePath());
+     }
+    }
+    throw new IllegalStateException("Could not find valid working directory.");
+  }
 
   @Override public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
     terminalWidget = new TerminalWidget(parent, getViewSite());
@@ -141,14 +178,14 @@
         updateUsageOfBlinkingCursor();
       }
     };
-    preferenceStore().addPropertyChangeListener(preferencesChangeListener);
+    Activator.preferenceStore().addPropertyChangeListener(preferencesChangeListener);
     updateBufferLineCount();
     updateColors();
     updateUsageOfBlinkingCursor();
     textFontChangeListener = new IPropertyChangeListener() {
       @Override public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent event) {
-        if (TEXT_FONT.equals(event.getProperty())) {
-          if (!useCustomFont()) {
+        if (JFaceResources.TEXT_FONT.equals(event.getProperty())) {
+          if (!ColorsAndFontsPreferences.useCustomFont()) {
             setFont(JFaceResources.getTextFont());
           }
         }
@@ -159,7 +196,8 @@
     setupToolBarActions();
     IContextService contextService = contextService();
     if (contextService != null) {
-      contextActivation = contextService.activateContext("com.google.eclipse.terminal.local.context.localTerminal");
+      contextActivation =
+          contextService.activateContext("com.google.eclipse.terminal.local.context.localTerminal");
     }
     if (savedState != null) {
       updateScrollLockUsingSavedState();
@@ -167,14 +205,15 @@
       return;
     }
     if (viewSite.getSecondaryId() == null) {
-      setPartName(defaultViewTitle);
-      open(userHomeDirectory());
+      setPartName(Messages.defaultViewTitle);
+      open(getDefaultWorkingDirectory());
     }
     enableScrollLock(scrollLockAction.isChecked());
   }
 
   private void closeViewOnExitIfPossible() {
-    if (closeViewOnExit() && terminalWidget != null && !terminalWidget.isDisposed()) {
+    if (GeneralPreferences.closeViewOnExit() && terminalWidget != null
+        && !terminalWidget.isDisposed()) {
       // must run in UI thread.
       forceClose = true;
       terminalWidget.getDisplay().asyncExec(new Runnable() {
@@ -187,7 +226,8 @@
   }
 
   private void updateColors() {
-    terminalWidget.setColors(background(), foreground());
+    terminalWidget.setColors(ColorsAndFontsPreferences.background(),
+        ColorsAndFontsPreferences.foreground());
   }
 
   private void updateFont() {
@@ -195,12 +235,12 @@
   }
 
   private void updateUsageOfBlinkingCursor() {
-    terminalWidget.setBlinkingCursor(useBlinkingCursor());
+    terminalWidget.setBlinkingCursor(ColorsAndFontsPreferences.useBlinkingCursor());
   }
 
   private Font terminalFont() {
-    if (useCustomFont()) {
-      return new Font(Display.getDefault(), customFontData());
+    if (ColorsAndFontsPreferences.useCustomFont()) {
+      return new Font(Display.getDefault(), ColorsAndFontsPreferences.customFontData());
     }
     return JFaceResources.getTextFont();
   }
@@ -210,7 +250,7 @@
   }
 
   private void updateBufferLineCount() {
-    terminalWidget.setBufferLineCount(bufferLineCount());
+    terminalWidget.setBufferLineCount(GeneralPreferences.bufferLineCount());
   }
 
   private void setupToolBarActions() {
@@ -241,8 +281,10 @@
     String title = savedState(TITLE_STATE_TYPE);
     setPartName(title);
     String savedWorkingDirectory = savedState(WORKING_DIRECTORY_STATE_TYPE);
-    if (savedWorkingDirectory != null) {
-      open(fromOSString(savedWorkingDirectory));
+    if (savedWorkingDirectory == null) {
+      open(getDefaultWorkingDirectory());
+    } else {      
+      open(Path.fromOSString(savedWorkingDirectory));
     }
   }
 
@@ -252,6 +294,7 @@
   }
 
   private void open(IPath workingDirectory) {
+    // workingDirectory should be non-null.
     if (terminalWidget.isConnected()) {
       return;
     }
@@ -264,7 +307,7 @@
     UIJob job = new UIJob("Update terminal view title") {
       @Override public IStatus runInUIThread(IProgressMonitor monitor) {
         setPartName(value);
-        return OK_STATUS;
+        return Status.OK_STATUS;
       }
     };
     job.schedule();
@@ -282,7 +325,7 @@
       }
     }
     if (preferencesChangeListener != null) {
-      preferenceStore().removePropertyChangeListener(preferencesChangeListener);
+      Activator.preferenceStore().removePropertyChangeListener(preferencesChangeListener);
     }
     if (textFontChangeListener != null) {
       JFaceResources.getFontRegistry().removeListener(textFontChangeListener);
@@ -311,7 +354,7 @@
   }
 
   @Override public int promptToSaveOnClose() {
-    if (warnOnClose()) {
+    if (GeneralPreferences.warnOnClose()) {
       boolean close = WarnOnCloseDialog.open(terminalWidget.getShell());
       if (!close) {
         return CANCEL;
@@ -330,8 +373,8 @@
 
   private class NewTerminalAction extends Action {
     NewTerminalAction() {
-      setImageDescriptor(imageDescriptor(NEW_TERMINAL));
-      setText(newLocalTerminal);
+      setImageDescriptor(Activator.imageDescriptor(ImageKeys.NEW_TERMINAL));
+      setText(Messages.newLocalTerminal);
     }
 
     @Override public void run() {
@@ -341,9 +384,9 @@
 
   private class ScrollLockAction extends Action {
     ScrollLockAction() {
-      super(scrollLock, AS_RADIO_BUTTON);
+      super(Messages.scrollLock, AS_RADIO_BUTTON);
       setChecked(false);
-      setImageDescriptor(imageDescriptor(SCROLL_LOCK));
+      setImageDescriptor(Activator.imageDescriptor(ImageKeys.SCROLL_LOCK));
     }
 
     @Override public void run() {
@@ -354,14 +397,15 @@
 
   private class ChangeViewNameAction extends Action {
     ChangeViewNameAction() {
-      setImageDescriptor(imageDescriptor(CHANGE_TITLE));
-      setText(changeTerminalTitle);
+      setImageDescriptor(Activator.imageDescriptor(ImageKeys.CHANGE_TITLE));
+      setText(Messages.changeTerminalTitle);
     }
 
     @Override public void run() {
       Shell shell = getViewSite().getShell();
       final String currentTitle = getPartName();
-      InputDialog input = new InputDialog(shell, enterTerminalTitleDialogTitle, enterTerminalTitlePrompt, currentTitle,
+      InputDialog input = new InputDialog(shell, Messages.enterTerminalTitleDialogTitle,
+          Messages.enterTerminalTitlePrompt, currentTitle,
           new IInputValidator() {
             @Override public String isValid(String newText) {
               if (newText == null || newText.isEmpty() || currentTitle.equals(newText)) {
@@ -371,7 +415,7 @@
             }
           });
       input.setBlockOnOpen(true);
-      if (input.open() == OK) {
+      if (input.open() == Window.OK) {
         setPartName(input.getValue());
       }
     }