diff --git a/src/Application.vala b/src/Application.vala
index 2c02f652e..c3bf18ea9 100644
--- a/src/Application.vala
+++ b/src/Application.vala
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ namespace Scratch {
                 create_new_tab = true;
             }
 
-            if (options.contains ("new-window")) {
+            if (options.contains ("new-window") || has_no_command_line_args (options)) {
                 create_new_window = true;
             }
 
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ namespace Scratch {
             // Create a new document if requested
             if (create_new_tab) {
                 create_new_tab = false;
-                activate_action (MainWindow.ACTION_PREFIX + MainWindow.ACTION_NEW_TAB, null);
+                var active_window_action_group = active_window.get_action_group (MainWindow.ACTION_GROUP);
+                active_window_action_group.activate_action (MainWindow.ACTION_NEW_TAB, null);
             }
         }
 
@@ -165,5 +166,10 @@ namespace Scratch {
         public static int main (string[] args) {
             return new Application ().run (args);
         }
+
+        private bool has_no_command_line_args (GLib.VariantDict options) {
+            return options.contains ("new-tab") == false
+                && options.contains (GLib.OPTION_REMAINING) == false;
+        }
     }
 }