diff --git a/.dfminstall b/.dfminstall
index ffe2ffd..75c42f6 100644
--- a/.dfminstall
+++ b/.dfminstall
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ bin recurse
 .config recurse
 
 bin/dfm chmod 0755
+.tmux/newpanes 0755
 .tmux/zoom 0755
 
 README.md skip
diff --git a/.tmux.conf b/.tmux.conf
index 5f85793..2a09f64 100644
--- a/.tmux.conf
+++ b/.tmux.conf
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ unbind -t vi-copy Enter
 bind-key -t vi-copy Enter copy-pipe "reattach-to-user-namespace pbcopy"
 
 
-# split panes using | and -
-bind | split-window -h
-bind - split-window -v
+# split panes using | and -, open new pane in current directory
+bind | send-keys " ~/.tmux/newpanes -h" C-m
+bind - send-keys " ~/.tmux/newpanes -v" C-m
 unbind '"'
 unbind %
 
@@ -115,8 +115,13 @@ setw -g pane-base-index 1
 
 
 # reload config file (change file location to your the tmux.conf you want to use)
-bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf
+bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "tmux config reloaded..."
 
 
 # Setup 'x' zoom into a panes (maximize) an save/restore other panes in the current window
 bind x run ". ~/.tmux/zoom"
+
+
+# set terminal title 
+set -g set-titles on
+set -g set-titles-string '#(whoami)@#h | #(curl ipecho.net/plain;echo)'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.tmux/newpanes b/.tmux/newpanes
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2fdd091
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.tmux/newpanes
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+TMUX_CURRENT_DIR=`pwd`
+tmux split-window $1
+tmux send-keys "cd $TMUX_CURRENT_DIR;clear" C-m
\ No newline at end of file