diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5fda0ba..101071f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,6 +111,19 @@ running `kks edit` will do the following:
 - if a session for the directory doesn't exist, `kks` will start a new session
   and connect to it.
 
+### Default session
+
+```
+export KKS_DEFAULT_SESSION='mysession'
+```
+
+When context is not set (`KKS_SESSION` is empty), running `kks edit` will check
+for a session defined by `KKS_DEFAULT_SESSION` variable. If the session is
+running, `kks` will connect to it instead of starting a new session.
+
+`kks` will not start the default session if it's not running. You can use the
+autostarting mechanism of your desktop to start it with `kak -d -s mysession`.
+
 ## Provided scripts
 
 | script                                 | function                                                |
diff --git a/cmd/edit.go b/cmd/edit.go
index ee53b44..8acc807 100644
--- a/cmd/edit.go
+++ b/cmd/edit.go
@@ -33,42 +33,36 @@ func (c *EditCmd) Run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, useGitDirSessions := os.LookupEnv("KKS_USE_GITDIR_SESSIONS")
-
-	gitdirSess := struct {
-		name   string
-		exists bool
-	}{"", false}
+	switch c.session {
+	case "":
+		var gitDirName string
+		_, useGitDirSessions := os.LookupEnv("KKS_USE_GITDIR_SESSIONS")
 
-	if useGitDirSessions {
-		gitOut, err := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel").Output()
-		if err == nil {
-			gitdirSess.name = strings.TrimSpace(strings.ReplaceAll(path.Base(string(gitOut)), ".", "-"))
-			sessions, _ := kak.List()
-			for _, s := range sessions {
-				if s.Name == gitdirSess.name {
-					gitdirSess.exists = true
-				}
-			}
+		if useGitDirSessions {
+			gitDirName = parseGitToplevel()
 		}
-	}
 
-	switch c.session {
-	case "":
-		if gitdirSess.name != "" {
-			if !gitdirSess.exists {
-				sessionName, err := kak.Create(gitdirSess.name)
+		if gitDirName != "" {
+			if !sessionExists(gitDirName) {
+				sessionName, err := kak.Create(gitDirName)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 				fmt.Println("git-dir session started:", sessionName)
 			}
-			if err := kak.Connect(fp.Name, fp.Line, fp.Column, gitdirSess.name); err != nil {
+			if err := kak.Connect(fp.Name, fp.Line, fp.Column, gitDirName); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		} else {
-			if err := kak.Run(fp.Name, fp.Line, fp.Column); err != nil {
-				return err
+			defaultSession := os.Getenv("KKS_DEFAULT_SESSION")
+			if defaultSession != "" && sessionExists(defaultSession) {
+				if err := kak.Connect(fp.Name, fp.Line, fp.Column, defaultSession); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			} else {
+				if err := kak.Run(fp.Name, fp.Line, fp.Column); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	default:
@@ -97,3 +91,21 @@ func (c *EditCmd) Run() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func parseGitToplevel() string {
+	gitOut, err := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel").Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSpace(strings.ReplaceAll(path.Base(string(gitOut)), ".", "-"))
+}
+
+func sessionExists(name string) bool {
+	sessions, _ := kak.List()
+	for _, s := range sessions {
+		if s.Name == name {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}