diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/post_processors/serve.py b/IPython/nbconvert/post_processors/serve.py
index 86e7dad..de16380 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/post_processors/serve.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/post_processors/serve.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import webbrowser
 from BaseHTTPServer import HTTPServer
 from SimpleHTTPServer import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
 
-from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Bool
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import Bool
 
 from .base import PostProcessorBase
 
@@ -30,28 +30,24 @@ class ServePostProcessor(PostProcessorBase):
     """Post processor designed to serve files"""
 
 
-    build_directory = Unicode(".", config=True, 
-                              help="""Directory to write output to.  Leave blank
-                              to output to the current directory""")
-                              
     open_in_browser = Bool(True, config=True,
-                           help="""Set to False to deactivate 
+                           help="""Set to False to deactivate
                            the opening of the browser""")
 
     def call(self, input):
         """
         Simple implementation to serve the build directory.
         """
-        
+
         try:
-            os.chdir(self.build_directory)
+            dirname, filename = os.path.split(input)
+            os.chdir(dirname)
             httpd = HTTPServer(('127.0.0.1', 8000), SimpleHTTPRequestHandler)
             sa = httpd.socket.getsockname()
-            name = input[2:]
-            url = "http://" + sa[0] + ":" + str(sa[1]) + "/" + name
+            url = "http://" + sa[0] + ":" + str(sa[1]) + "/" + filename
             if self.open_in_browser:
                 webbrowser.open(url, new=2)
-            print("Serving " + name + " on " + url)
+            print("Serving your slides on " + url)
             print("Use Control-C to stop this server.")
             httpd.serve_forever()
         except KeyboardInterrupt: