diff --git a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksMojo.java b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksMojo.java
index b60e378..972f584 100644
--- a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksMojo.java
+++ b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksMojo.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;
 
 public abstract class AbstractHyracksMojo extends AbstractMojo {
-    protected Process launch(File command, String options) throws MojoExecutionException {
+    protected Process launch(File command, String options, File workingDir) throws MojoExecutionException {
         if (!command.isFile()) {
             throw new MojoExecutionException(command.getAbsolutePath() + " is not an executable program");
         }
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
             if (osName.startsWith("Windows")) {
                 return launchWindowsBatch(command, options);
             } else {
-                return launchUnixScript(command, options);
+                return launchUnixScript(command, options, workingDir);
             }
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new MojoExecutionException("Error executing command: " + command.getAbsolutePath(), e);
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
         return proc;
     }
 
-    protected Process launchUnixScript(File command, String options) throws IOException {
+    protected Process launchUnixScript(File command, String options, File workingDir) throws IOException {
         String[] optionsArray = new String[0];
         if (options != null && !options.trim().isEmpty()) {
             optionsArray = options.trim().split("\\s+");
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@
         for (int i = 0; i < optionsArray.length; ++i) {
             commandWithOptions[i + 1] = optionsArray[i];
         }
-        Process proc = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(commandWithOptions, null, new File("."));
+        Process proc = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(commandWithOptions, null,
+                workingDir == null ? new File(".") : workingDir);
         dump(proc.getInputStream());
         dump(proc.getErrorStream());
         return proc;
diff --git a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksServerMojo.java b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksServerMojo.java
index 4260dcd..448ca22 100644
--- a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksServerMojo.java
+++ b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/AbstractHyracksServerMojo.java
@@ -22,4 +22,9 @@
      * @required
      */
     protected File hyracksServerHome;
+
+    /**
+     * @parameter
+     */
+    protected File workingDir;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksCCStartMojo.java b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksCCStartMojo.java
index 5808909..942b055 100644
--- a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksCCStartMojo.java
+++ b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksCCStartMojo.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
             cmdLineBuffer.append("-port ").append(port);
         }
         String args = cmdLineBuffer.toString();
-        final Process proc = launch(new File(hyracksServerHome, makeScriptName(HYRACKS_CC_SCRIPT)), args);
+        final Process proc = launch(new File(hyracksServerHome, makeScriptName(HYRACKS_CC_SCRIPT)), args, workingDir);
         HyracksServiceRegistry.INSTANCE.addServiceProcess(proc);
         try {
             Thread.sleep(2000);
diff --git a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksNCStartMojo.java b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksNCStartMojo.java
index 2f1a268..1206e08 100644
--- a/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksNCStartMojo.java
+++ b/hyracks-maven-plugin/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/maven/plugin/HyracksNCStartMojo.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
             cmdLineBuffer.append(" -cc-port ").append(ccPort);
         }
         String args = cmdLineBuffer.toString();
-        final Process proc = launch(new File(hyracksServerHome, makeScriptName(HYRACKS_NC_SCRIPT)), args);
+        final Process proc = launch(new File(hyracksServerHome, makeScriptName(HYRACKS_NC_SCRIPT)), args, workingDir);
         HyracksServiceRegistry.INSTANCE.addServiceProcess(proc);
         try {
             Thread.sleep(2000);