diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
index 2e05ec91a..91d785a85 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ def main():
                                        sub_clients["explist_status"],
                                        rpc_clients["schedule"],
                                        rpc_clients["experiment_db"])
+    smgr.register(d_explorer)
 
     d_datasets = datasets.DatasetsDock(sub_clients["datasets"],
                                        rpc_clients["dataset_db"])
diff --git a/artiq/gui/explorer.py b/artiq/gui/explorer.py
index bddbc5ebc..1fd0c78c6 100644
--- a/artiq/gui/explorer.py
+++ b/artiq/gui/explorer.py
@@ -296,3 +296,11 @@ class ExplorerDock(QtWidgets.QDockWidget):
 
     def update_cur_rev(self, cur_rev):
         self.revision.setText(cur_rev)
+
+    def save_state(self):
+        return {
+            "current_directory": self.current_directory
+        }
+
+    def restore_state(self, state):
+        self.current_directory = state["current_directory"]