In order to reach their targets, neurons must send out axons that navigate their environment until their final destination is reached. Although it is clear that this process involves extensive cytoskeletal remodelling within the growth cone filopodia at the axon tip, the mechanism by which this occurs remains poorly understood. In this issue (see p. 449), Aurnab Ghose and colleagues identify a novel role for formin 2 (Fmn2) in regulating filopodial dynamics by stabilising filopodial tip adhesions without affecting initiation or elongation. The authors show that Fmn2 colocalises with actin within growth cone filopodia of the developing chick spinal cord. Using Fmn2 and control morpholinos, the authors analyse the function of Fmn2 within the growth cone, with specific attention to its actin organisation, motility, substrate attachments and filopodial dynamics. The authors also demonstrate that Fmn2 is required cell-autonomously by spinal neurons for midline guidance and pathfinding in vivo. Finally, in non-neuronal fibroblasts, Fmn2 is shown to regulate the development of ventral stress fibres, in turn modulating the stability of focal adhesions. This work identifies Fmn2 as an important new regulator of cell adhesion and motility in growth cones and is suggestive of similar functions in non-neuronal cells.