diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/startapp.py b/django/core/management/commands/startapp.py
index c238e74a08..20ab397da1 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/startapp.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/startapp.py
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@ class Command(LabelCommand):
     def handle_label(self, app_name, directory=None, **options):
         if directory is None:
             directory = os.getcwd()
-        # Determine the project_name a bit naively -- by looking at the name of
-        # the parent directory.
-        project_dir = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(directory, os.pardir))
-        parent_dir = os.path.basename(project_dir)
+        # Determine the project_name by using the basename of directory,
+        # which should be the full path of the project directory (or the
+        # current directory if no directory was passed).
         project_name = os.path.basename(directory)
         if app_name == project_name:
             raise CommandError("You cannot create an app with the same name (%r) as your project." % app_name)
-        copy_helper(self.style, 'app', app_name, directory, parent_dir)
+        copy_helper(self.style, 'app', app_name, directory, project_name)
 
 class ProjectCommand(Command):
     help = "Creates a Django app directory structure for the given app name in this project's directory."