diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0dde1fd4d..52e965ae7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2009-10-17  Wolfgang Lux  <wlux@uni-muenster.de>
+
+	* Source/NSApplication.m (-finishLaunching): Open a new document
+	by default when a document based application is started and there
+	is no file to open.
+
 2009-10-17 Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
 
 	* Source/NSWindow.m:
diff --git a/Source/NSApplication.m b/Source/NSApplication.m
index b49e8984c..5bb5f62e6 100644
--- a/Source/NSApplication.m
+++ b/Source/NSApplication.m
@@ -1129,14 +1129,30 @@ static NSSize scaledIconSizeForSize(NSSize imageSize)
       [_listener application: self printFile: filePath];
       [self terminate: self];
     }
-  else if (!didAutoreopen && ![defs boolForKey: @"autolaunch"]
-    && [_delegate respondsToSelector:
-      @selector(applicationShouldOpenUntitledFile:)]
-    && ([_delegate applicationShouldOpenUntitledFile: self])
-    && [_delegate respondsToSelector:
-      @selector(applicationOpenUntitledFile:)])
+  else if (!didAutoreopen && ![defs boolForKey: @"autolaunch"])
     {
-      [_delegate applicationOpenUntitledFile: self];
+      if ([_delegate respondsToSelector:
+                       @selector(applicationShouldOpenUntitledFile:)])
+        {
+          if ([_delegate applicationShouldOpenUntitledFile: self]
+              && [_delegate respondsToSelector:
+                              @selector(applicationOpenUntitledFile:)])
+            {
+              [_delegate applicationOpenUntitledFile: self];
+            }
+        }
+      else if ([NSDocumentController isDocumentBasedApplication])
+        {
+          NSError *err;
+          NSDocumentController *sdc =
+            [NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController];
+
+          if ([sdc openUntitledDocumentAndDisplay: YES error: &err] == nil &&
+              [sdc presentError: err] == NO)
+            {
+              [self terminate: self];
+            }
+        }
     }
 }