coder · mafredri · Mar 18, 2026 · Mar 18, 2026 · johnstcn · Mar 18, 2026
diff --git a/agent/agent.go b/agent/agent.go
@@ -385,7 +385,12 @@ func (a *agent) init() {
 
 	pathStore := agentgit.NewPathStore()
 	a.filesAPI = agentfiles.NewAPI(a.logger.Named("files"), a.filesystem, pathStore)
-	a.processAPI = agentproc.NewAPI(a.logger.Named("processes"), a.execer, a.updateCommandEnv, pathStore)
+	a.processAPI = agentproc.NewAPI(a.logger.Named("processes"), a.execer, a.updateCommandEnv, pathStore, func() string {
+		if m := a.manifest.Load(); m != nil {
+			return m.Directory
+		}
+		return ""
+	})
 	gitOpts := append([]agentgit.Option{agentgit.WithClock(a.clock)}, a.gitAPIOptions...)
 	a.gitAPI = agentgit.NewAPI(a.logger.Named("git"), pathStore, gitOpts...)
 	desktop := agentdesktop.NewPortableDesktop(

diff --git a/agent/agentproc/api.go b/agent/agentproc/api.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ type API struct {
 }
 
 // NewAPI creates a new process API handler.
-func NewAPI(logger slog.Logger, execer agentexec.Execer, updateEnv func(current []string) (updated []string, err error), pathStore *agentgit.PathStore) *API {
+func NewAPI(logger slog.Logger, execer agentexec.Execer, updateEnv func(current []string) (updated []string, err error), pathStore *agentgit.PathStore, workingDir func() string) *API {
 	return &API{
 		logger:    logger,
-		manager:   newManager(logger, execer, updateEnv),
+		manager:   newManager(logger, execer, updateEnv, workingDir),
 		pathStore: pathStore,
 	}
 }

diff --git a/agent/agentproc/api_test.go b/agent/agentproc/api_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -97,18 +98,25 @@ func postSignal(t *testing.T, handler http.Handler, id string, req workspacesdk.
 // execer, returning the handler and API.
 func newTestAPI(t *testing.T) http.Handler {
 	t.Helper()
-	return newTestAPIWithUpdateEnv(t, nil)
+	return newTestAPIWithOptions(t, nil, nil)
 }
 
 // newTestAPIWithUpdateEnv creates a new API with an optional
 // updateEnv hook for testing environment injection.
 func newTestAPIWithUpdateEnv(t *testing.T, updateEnv func([]string) ([]string, error)) http.Handler {
 	t.Helper()
+	return newTestAPIWithOptions(t, updateEnv, nil)
+}
+
+// newTestAPIWithOptions creates a new API with optional
+// updateEnv and workingDir hooks.
+func newTestAPIWithOptions(t *testing.T, updateEnv func([]string) ([]string, error), workingDir func() string) http.Handler {
+	t.Helper()
 
 	logger := slogtest.Make(t, &slogtest.Options{
 		IgnoreErrors: true,
 	}).Leveled(slog.LevelDebug)
-	api := agentproc.NewAPI(logger, agentexec.DefaultExecer, updateEnv, nil)
+	api := agentproc.NewAPI(logger, agentexec.DefaultExecer, updateEnv, nil, workingDir)
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = api.Close()
 	})
@@ -253,6 +261,100 @@ func TestStartProcess(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Contains(t, resp.Output, "marker.txt")
 	})
 
+	t.Run("DefaultWorkDirIsHome", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		// No working directory closure, so the process
+		// should fall back to $HOME. We verify through
+		// the process list API which reports the resolved
+		// working directory using native OS paths,
+		// avoiding shell path format mismatches on
+		// Windows (Git Bash returns POSIX paths).
+		handler := newTestAPI(t)
+
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		id := startAndGetID(t, handler, workspacesdk.StartProcessRequest{
+			Command: "echo ok",
+		})
+
+		resp := waitForExit(t, handler, id)
+		require.NotNil(t, resp.ExitCode)
+		require.Equal(t, 0, *resp.ExitCode)
+
+		w := getList(t, handler)
+		require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+		var listResp workspacesdk.ListProcessesResponse
+		require.NoError(t, json.NewDecoder(w.Body).Decode(&listResp))
+		var proc *workspacesdk.ProcessInfo
+		for i := range listResp.Processes {
+			if listResp.Processes[i].ID == id {
+				proc = &listResp.Processes[i]
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		require.NotNil(t, proc, "process not found in list")
+		require.Equal(t, homeDir, proc.WorkDir)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("DefaultWorkDirFromClosure", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		// The closure provides a valid directory, so the
+		// process should start there. Use the marker file
+		// pattern to avoid path format mismatches on
+		// Windows.
+		tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+		handler := newTestAPIWithOptions(t, nil, func() string {
+			return tmpDir
+		})
+
+		id := startAndGetID(t, handler, workspacesdk.StartProcessRequest{
+			Command: "touch marker.txt && ls marker.txt",
+		})
+
+		resp := waitForExit(t, handler, id)
+		require.NotNil(t, resp.ExitCode)
+		require.Equal(t, 0, *resp.ExitCode)
+		require.Contains(t, resp.Output, "marker.txt")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("DefaultWorkDirClosureNonExistentFallsBackToHome", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		// The closure returns a path that doesn't exist,
+		// so the process should fall back to $HOME.
+		handler := newTestAPIWithOptions(t, nil, func() string {
+			return "/tmp/nonexistent-dir-" + fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().UnixNano())
+		})
+
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		id := startAndGetID(t, handler, workspacesdk.StartProcessRequest{
+			Command: "echo ok",
+		})
+
+		resp := waitForExit(t, handler, id)
+		require.NotNil(t, resp.ExitCode)
+		require.Equal(t, 0, *resp.ExitCode)
+
+		w := getList(t, handler)
+		require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+		var listResp workspacesdk.ListProcessesResponse
+		require.NoError(t, json.NewDecoder(w.Body).Decode(&listResp))
+		var proc *workspacesdk.ProcessInfo
+		for i := range listResp.Processes {
+			if listResp.Processes[i].ID == id {
+				proc = &listResp.Processes[i]
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		require.NotNil(t, proc, "process not found in list")
+		require.Equal(t, homeDir, proc.WorkDir)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("CustomEnv", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
@@ -781,7 +883,7 @@ func TestHandleStartProcess_ChatHeaders_EmptyWorkDir_StillNotifies(t *testing.T)
 	logger := slogtest.Make(t, nil).Leveled(slog.LevelDebug)
 	api := agentproc.NewAPI(logger, agentexec.DefaultExecer, func(current []string) ([]string, error) {
 		return current, nil
-	}, pathStore)
+	}, pathStore, nil)
 	defer api.Close()
 
 	routes := api.Routes()

diff --git a/agent/agentproc/process.go b/agent/agentproc/process.go
@@ -70,23 +70,25 @@ func (p *process) output() (string, *workspacesdk.ProcessTruncation) {
 
 // manager tracks processes spawned by the agent.
 type manager struct {
-	mu        sync.Mutex
-	logger    slog.Logger
-	execer    agentexec.Execer
-	clock     quartz.Clock
-	procs     map[string]*process
-	closed    bool
-	updateEnv func(current []string) (updated []string, err error)
+	mu         sync.Mutex
+	logger     slog.Logger
+	execer     agentexec.Execer
+	clock      quartz.Clock
+	procs      map[string]*process
+	closed     bool
+	updateEnv  func(current []string) (updated []string, err error)
+	workingDir func() string
 }
 
 // newManager creates a new process manager.
-func newManager(logger slog.Logger, execer agentexec.Execer, updateEnv func(current []string) (updated []string, err error)) *manager {
+func newManager(logger slog.Logger, execer agentexec.Execer, updateEnv func(current []string) (updated []string, err error), workingDir func() string) *manager {
 	return &manager{
-		logger:    logger,
-		execer:    execer,
-		clock:     quartz.NewReal(),
-		procs:     make(map[string]*process),
-		updateEnv: updateEnv,
+		logger:     logger,
+		execer:     execer,
+		clock:      quartz.NewReal(),
+		procs:      make(map[string]*process),
+		updateEnv:  updateEnv,
+		workingDir: workingDir,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -109,9 +111,7 @@ func (m *manager) start(req workspacesdk.StartProcessRequest, chatID string) (*p
 	// the process is not tied to any HTTP request.
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	cmd := m.execer.CommandContext(ctx, "sh", "-c", req.Command)
-	if req.WorkDir != "" {
-		cmd.Dir = req.WorkDir
-	}
+	cmd.Dir = m.resolveWorkDir(req.WorkDir)
 	cmd.Stdin = nil
 	cmd.SysProcAttr = procSysProcAttr()
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func (m *manager) start(req workspacesdk.StartProcessRequest, chatID string) (*p
 	proc := &process{
 		id:         id,
 		command:    req.Command,
-		workDir:    req.WorkDir,
+		workDir:    cmd.Dir,
 		background: req.Background,
 		chatID:     chatID,
 		cmd:        cmd,
@@ -319,3 +319,24 @@ func (m *manager) Close() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// resolveWorkDir returns the directory a process should start in.
+// Priority: explicit request dir > agent configured dir > $HOME.
+// Falls through when a candidate is empty or does not exist on
+// disk, matching the behavior of SSH sessions.
+func (m *manager) resolveWorkDir(requested string) string {
+	if requested != "" {
+		return requested
+	}
+	if m.workingDir != nil {
+		if dir := m.workingDir(); dir != "" {
+			if info, err := os.Stat(dir); err == nil && info.IsDir() {
+				return dir
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if home, err := os.UserHomeDir(); err == nil {
+		return home
+	}
+	return ""
+}