diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Command/AssetsInstallCommand.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Command/AssetsInstallCommand.php
index a52fe67aba7d8..333d5cba904df 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Command/AssetsInstallCommand.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Command/AssetsInstallCommand.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Style\SymfonyStyle;
+use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Exception\IOException;
 use Symfony\Component\Filesystem\Filesystem;
 use Symfony\Component\Finder\Finder;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ protected function configure()
     {
         $this
             ->setDefinition(array(
-                new InputArgument('target', InputArgument::OPTIONAL, 'The target directory', 'public'),
+                new InputArgument('target', InputArgument::OPTIONAL, 'The target directory', null),
             ))
             ->addOption('symlink', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Symlinks the assets instead of copying it')
             ->addOption('relative', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Make relative symlinks')
@@ -107,6 +108,10 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
         $kernel = $this->getApplication()->getKernel();
         $targetArg = rtrim($input->getArgument('target'), '/');
 
+        if (!$targetArg) {
+            $targetArg = $this->getPublicDirectory($this->getContainer());
+        }
+
         if (!is_dir($targetArg)) {
             $targetArg = (isset($baseDir) ? $baseDir : $kernel->getContainer()->getParameter('kernel.project_dir')).'/'.$targetArg;
 
@@ -288,4 +293,24 @@ private function hardCopy($originDir, $targetDir)
 
         return self::METHOD_COPY;
     }
+
+    private function getPublicDirectory(ContainerInterface $container)
+    {
+        $kernelProjectDir = $container->getParameter('kernel.project_dir');
+        $composerFilePath = $kernelProjectDir . '/composer.json';
+
+        if (file_exists($composerFilePath)) {
+            $composerConfig = json_decode(file_get_contents($composerFilePath), true);
+
+            if (isset($composerConfig['extra'])) {
+                if (isset($composerConfig['extra']['public-dir'])) {
+                    return $composerConfig['extra']['public-dir'];
+                } elseif (isset($composerConfig['extra']['symfony-web-dir'])) {
+                   return $composerConfig['extra']['symfony-web-dir'];
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return 'public';
+    }
 }