diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 69e652a04..67aae6f43 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -463,9 +463,9 @@ class Boss:
         w = self.active_window_for_cwd
         self._new_os_window(args, CwdRequest(w))
 
-    def new_os_window_with_wd(self, wd: Union[str, List[str]]) -> None:
+    def new_os_window_with_wd(self, wd: Union[str, List[str]], str_is_multiple_paths: bool = False) -> None:
         if isinstance(wd, str):
-            wd = [wd]
+            wd = wd.split(os.pathsep) if str_is_multiple_paths else [wd]
         for path in wd:
             special_window = SpecialWindow(None, cwd=path)
             self._new_os_window(special_window)
@@ -1851,11 +1851,11 @@ class Boss:
     def new_tab_with_cwd(self, *args: str) -> None:
         self._create_tab(list(args), cwd_from=CwdRequest(self.active_window_for_cwd))
 
-    def new_tab_with_wd(self, wd: Union[str, List[str]]) -> None:
+    def new_tab_with_wd(self, wd: Union[str, List[str]], str_is_multiple_paths: bool = False) -> None:
         if not self.os_window_map:
             self.add_os_window()
         if isinstance(wd, str):
-            wd = [wd]
+            wd = wd.split(os.pathsep) if str_is_multiple_paths else [wd]
         for path in wd:
             special_window = SpecialWindow(None, cwd=path)
             self._new_tab(special_window)
diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index a4dc767bb..6b57163f3 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -1041,17 +1041,8 @@ process_cocoa_pending_actions(void) {
     if (cocoa_pending_actions[TOGGLE_MACOS_SECURE_KEYBOARD_ENTRY]) { call_boss(toggle_macos_secure_keyboard_entry, NULL); }
     if (cocoa_pending_actions[TOGGLE_FULLSCREEN]) { call_boss(toggle_fullscreen, NULL); }
     if (cocoa_pending_actions_data.wd) {
-#define C(a, f) \
-        if (cocoa_pending_actions[a]) { \
-            PyObject *wds = PyUnicode_FromString(cocoa_pending_actions_data.wd); \
-            PyObject *sep = PyUnicode_FromString(":"); \
-            PyObject *paths = PyUnicode_Split(wds, sep, -1); \
-            call_boss(f, "O", paths); \
-            Py_DECREF(paths); Py_DECREF(sep); Py_DECREF(wds); \
-        }
-        C(NEW_OS_WINDOW_WITH_WD, new_os_window_with_wd);
-        C(NEW_TAB_WITH_WD, new_tab_with_wd);
-#undef C
+        if (cocoa_pending_actions[NEW_OS_WINDOW_WITH_WD]) { call_boss(new_os_window_with_wd, "sO", cocoa_pending_actions.wd, Py_True); }
+        if (cocoa_pending_actions[NEW_TAB_WITH_WD]) { call_boss(new_tab_with_wd, "sO", cocoa_pending_actions.wd, Py_True); }
         free(cocoa_pending_actions_data.wd);
         cocoa_pending_actions_data.wd = NULL;
     }