Can I stop apps from selecting "Recently Used" by default in file chooser dialogs?

To my knowledge, this is a "feature" of GTK+ 3.x, and I'm not so certain it can be changed.

If I find a solution I will update my answer, but for now I don't know of any (other than reporting a bug).

Update:

I believe I may have found a partial solution. It's not a permanent one unfortunately.

1. Install dconf-tools.
2. Run dconf-editor.
3. Navigate to org.gtk.settings.file-chooser.
4. Change the last-folder-uri value to the folder of your choosing, for example file:///home/rolandixor/Desktop.
5. Your file chooser dialogues should now use this folder by default. However, they will revert to recently used if you use the dialogue but do not actually open/save a file.

Update2:

As this is rather tricky, here is another possible solution (partial):

1. Open gedit.
2. Open a file (from the folder you want to use).
3. Save a file (save as) to the folder you want to use.
4. Close gedit. This will only work if you actually open a file from a folder and save to a folder. If you open the dialogue and don't do anything, it will revert when you close it. There is no way around this.

I was also bugged by this behaviour and gave it a closer look during the last days.

I have found only one of the GTK3 applications so far that always brings up Recently Used at fresh start: Gedit. All other apps I have tested (Totem, Eog, Evince, File-Roller, ...) start with a "normal" folder in their file chooser (tested with fresh guest session).

So I did a small patch that makes Gedit fall back on the Home folder instead of Recently Used: http://pastebin.com/GhXCRzNV

I can also provide a debdiff if requested, or create a PPA.