diff --git a/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/GalleryComm2.java b/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/GalleryComm2.java
index 37290ac..e1b6315 100644
--- a/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/GalleryComm2.java
+++ b/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/GalleryComm2.java
@@ -668,8 +668,11 @@ class NewAlbumTask extends GalleryTask {
 		
 		void runTask() {
 			status(su, "Getting album information from " + g.toString());
-			
-			String parentAlbumName = (parentAlbum == null) ? "" : parentAlbum.getName();
+
+			// if the parent is null (top-level album), set the album name to an illegal name so it's set to null
+			// by Gallery. Using an empty string doesn't work, because then the HTTP parameter is not
+			// parsed, and the session album is kept the same as before (from the cookie).
+			String parentAlbumName = (parentAlbum == null) ? "hack_null_albumName" : parentAlbum.getName();
 
 			if (GalleryRemote.getInstance().properties.getBooleanProperty(HTML_ESCAPE_CAPTIONS)) {
 				albumTitle = HTMLEscaper.escape(albumTitle);
diff --git a/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/NewAlbumDialog.java b/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/NewAlbumDialog.java
index 7bd0c8a..498cac6 100644
--- a/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/NewAlbumDialog.java
+++ b/com/gallery/GalleryRemote/NewAlbumDialog.java
@@ -120,7 +120,13 @@ private void jbInit()
 
 		album = new JComboBox(albums);
 		album.setFont( new java.awt.Font( "SansSerif", 0, 11 ) );
-		album.setSelectedItem(defaultAlbum);
+		
+		if (defaultAlbum == null) {
+			album.setSelectedItem(rootAlbum);
+		} else {
+			album.setSelectedItem(defaultAlbum);
+		}
+
 		cancel.setText( "Cancel" );
 		description.setBorder( BorderFactory.createBevelBorder( BevelBorder.LOWERED, Color.white, Color.lightGray, Color.darkGray, Color.gray ) );
 		description.setLineWrap(true);
@@ -194,6 +200,7 @@ public void actionPerformed( ActionEvent e ) {
 			
 			Album selectedAlbum = (Album) album.getSelectedItem();
 			if (selectedAlbum == rootAlbum) {
+				Log.log(Log.TRACE, MODULE, "Selected root album");
 				a.setParentAlbum(null);
 			} else {
 				a.setParentAlbum(selectedAlbum);