diff --git a/zathura/completion.c b/zathura/completion.c
index 42d71dd..cf16942 100644
--- a/zathura/completion.c
+++ b/zathura/completion.c
@@ -191,18 +191,15 @@ list_files_for_cc(zathura_t* zathura, const char* input, bool check_file_ext, in
   }
 
   if (show_recent > 0 && zathura->database != NULL) {
-    girara_list_t* recent_files = zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura->database, show_recent);
+    girara_list_t* recent_files = zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura->database, show_recent, path);
     if (recent_files == NULL) {
       goto error_free;
     }
 
     if (girara_list_size(recent_files) != 0) {
-      const size_t path_len = strlen(path);
       GIRARA_LIST_FOREACH(recent_files, const char*, iter, file)
-        if (strncmp(path, file, path_len) == 0) {
-          girara_debug("adding %s (recent file)", file);
-          girara_completion_group_add_element(history_group, file, NULL);
-        }
+        girara_debug("adding %s (recent file)", file);
+        girara_completion_group_add_element(history_group, file, NULL);
       GIRARA_LIST_FOREACH_END(recent_files, const char*, iter, file);
       girara_list_free(recent_files);
     } else {
diff --git a/zathura/database-plain.c b/zathura/database-plain.c
index 388a7b3..6c933fd 100644
--- a/zathura/database-plain.c
+++ b/zathura/database-plain.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static bool           plain_get_fileinfo(zathura_database_t* db, const char* fil
 static void           plain_set_property(GObject* object, guint prop_id, const GValue* value, GParamSpec* pspec);
 static void           plain_io_append(GiraraInputHistoryIO* db, const char*);
 static girara_list_t* plain_io_read(GiraraInputHistoryIO* db);
-static girara_list_t* plain_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max);
+static girara_list_t* plain_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath);
 
 /* forward declaration */
 static bool           zathura_db_check_file(const char* path);
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ compare_time(const void* l, const void* r, void* data)
 }
 
 static girara_list_t*
-plain_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max)
+plain_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath)
 {
   zathura_plaindatabase_private_t* priv = ZATHURA_PLAINDATABASE_GET_PRIVATE(db);
 
@@ -868,12 +868,15 @@ plain_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max)
     g_qsort_with_data(groups, groups_size, sizeof(gchar*), compare_time, priv->history);
   }
 
-  if (max >= 0 && (gsize) max < groups_size) {
-    groups_size = max;
-  }
+  const size_t basepath_len = basepath != NULL ? strlen(basepath) : 0;
+
+  for (gsize s = 0; s != groups_size && max != 0; ++s) {
+    if (basepath != NULL && strncmp(groups[s], basepath, basepath_len) != 0) {
+      continue;
+    }
 
-  for (gsize s = 0; s != groups_size; ++s) {
     girara_list_append(result, g_strdup(groups[s]));
+    --max;
   }
   g_strfreev(groups);
 
diff --git a/zathura/database-sqlite.c b/zathura/database-sqlite.c
index bf219d4..674d3e3 100644
--- a/zathura/database-sqlite.c
+++ b/zathura/database-sqlite.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ static bool           sqlite_get_fileinfo(zathura_database_t* db, const char* fi
 static void           sqlite_set_property(GObject* object, guint prop_id, const GValue* value, GParamSpec* pspec);
 static void           sqlite_io_append(GiraraInputHistoryIO* db, const char*);
 static girara_list_t* sqlite_io_read(GiraraInputHistoryIO* db);
-static girara_list_t* sqlite_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max);
+static girara_list_t* sqlite_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath);
 
 typedef struct zathura_sqldatabase_private_s {
   sqlite3* session;
@@ -761,13 +761,15 @@ sqlite_io_read(GiraraInputHistoryIO* db)
 }
 
 static girara_list_t*
-sqlite_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max)
+sqlite_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath)
 {
   static const char SQL_HISTORY_GET[] =
     "SELECT file FROM fileinfo ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT ?";
+  static const char SQL_HISTORY_GET_WITH_BASEPATH[] =
+    "SELECT file FROM fileinfo WHERE file LIKE '?%' ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT ?";
 
   zathura_sqldatabase_private_t* priv = ZATHURA_SQLDATABASE_GET_PRIVATE(db);
-  sqlite3_stmt* stmt = prepare_statement(priv->session, SQL_HISTORY_GET);
+  sqlite3_stmt* stmt = prepare_statement(priv->session, basepath == NULL ? SQL_HISTORY_GET : SQL_HISTORY_GET_WITH_BASEPATH);
   if (stmt == NULL) {
     return NULL;
   }
@@ -776,7 +778,8 @@ sqlite_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max)
     max = INT_MAX;
   }
 
-  if (sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, max) != SQLITE_OK) {
+  if (sqlite3_bind_int(stmt, 1, max) != SQLITE_OK &&
+      (basepath == NULL || sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 2, basepath, -1, NULL) != SQLITE_OK)) {
     sqlite3_finalize(stmt);
     girara_error("Failed to bind arguments.");
     return false;
diff --git a/zathura/database.c b/zathura/database.c
index d67b507..4b52e95 100644
--- a/zathura/database.c
+++ b/zathura/database.c
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ zathura_db_get_fileinfo(zathura_database_t* db, const char* file,
 }
 
 girara_list_t*
-zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max)
+zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath)
 {
   g_return_val_if_fail(ZATHURA_IS_DATABASE(db), NULL);
 
-  return ZATHURA_DATABASE_GET_INTERFACE(db)->get_recent_files(db, max);
+  return ZATHURA_DATABASE_GET_INTERFACE(db)->get_recent_files(db, max, basepath);
 }
diff --git a/zathura/database.h b/zathura/database.h
index b53fd03..7c76407 100644
--- a/zathura/database.h
+++ b/zathura/database.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct _ZathuraDatabaseInterface
 
   bool (*get_fileinfo)(ZathuraDatabase* db, const char* file, zathura_fileinfo_t* file_info);
 
-  girara_list_t* (*get_recent_files)(ZathuraDatabase* db, int max);
+  girara_list_t* (*get_recent_files)(ZathuraDatabase* db, int max, const char* basepath);
 };
 
 GType zathura_database_get_type(void) G_GNUC_CONST;
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ bool zathura_db_get_fileinfo(zathura_database_t* db, const char* file,
  * limit is applied.
  * @return list of files
  */
-girara_list_t* zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max);
+girara_list_t* zathura_db_get_recent_files(zathura_database_t* db, int max, const char* basepath);
 
 
 #endif // DATABASE_H