diff --git a/autotests/kfiledialog_unittest.cpp b/autotests/kfiledialog_unittest.cpp
--- a/autotests/kfiledialog_unittest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/kfiledialog_unittest.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,24 @@
         QCOMPARE(dialog.directory().absolutePath(), QDir::rootPath());
     }
 
+    void testSelectUrl()
+    {
+        QTemporaryFile tempFile(QDir::tempPath()+"/kfiledialogtest_XXXXXX");
+        tempFile.setAutoRemove(true);
+        tempFile.open();
+        QString tempName = tempFile.fileName();
+        QUrl url = QUrl::fromLocalFile(tempName);
+        int idx = tempName.lastIndexOf('/');
+        QUrl directoryUrl = QUrl::fromLocalFile(tempName.left(idx+1));
+
+        QFileDialog dialog;
+        dialog.selectUrl(url);
+        dialog.show();
+
+        // check if dialog was set to base directory url of the passed file url
+        QCOMPARE(dialog.directoryUrl(), directoryUrl);
+    }
+
     void testViewMode()
     {
         // Open a file dialog, and change view mode to tree
diff --git a/src/platformtheme/kdeplatformfiledialoghelper.cpp b/src/platformtheme/kdeplatformfiledialoghelper.cpp
--- a/src/platformtheme/kdeplatformfiledialoghelper.cpp
+++ b/src/platformtheme/kdeplatformfiledialoghelper.cpp
@@ -361,6 +361,13 @@
 void KDEPlatformFileDialogHelper::selectFile(const QUrl &filename)
 {
     m_dialog->selectFile(filename);
+
+    // Qt 5 at least until 5.7.0 does not derive the directory from the passed url
+    // and set the initialDirectory option accordingly, also not for known schemes
+    // like file://, so we have to do it ourselves
+    QSharedPointer<QFileDialogOptions> opt(new QFileDialogOptions(*options()));
+    opt->setInitialDirectory(m_dialog->directory());
+    setOptions(opt);
 }
 
 void KDEPlatformFileDialogHelper::setDirectory(const QUrl &directory)