diff --git a/source/app.d b/source/app.d
index b1e1d25..8e016fc 100644
--- a/source/app.d
+++ b/source/app.d
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 		string install_version;
 		string[] registry_urls;
 		string[] debug_versions;
+		string root_path = getcwd();
 		getopt(args,
 			"v|verbose", &verbose,
 			"vverbose", &vverbose,
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@
 			"system", &install_system,
 			"local", &install_local,
 			"version", &install_version,
-			"registry", &registry_urls
+			"registry", &registry_urls,
+			"root", &root_path
 			);
 
 		if( vverbose ) loglevel = LogLevel.debug_;
@@ -111,12 +113,12 @@
 			logInfo("");
 		}
 
-		Dub dub = new Dub(registry_urls.map!(url => cast(PackageSupplier)new RegistryPackageSupplier(Url(url))).array);
+		Dub dub = new Dub(registry_urls.map!(url => cast(PackageSupplier)new RegistryPackageSupplier(Url(url))).array, root_path);
 		string def_config;
 
 		bool loadCwdPackage()
 		{
-			if( !existsFile("package.json") && !existsFile("source/app.d") ){
+			if( !existsFile(dub.rootPath~"package.json") && !existsFile(dub.rootPath~"source/app.d") ){
 				logInfo("");
 				logInfo("Neither package.json, nor source/app.d was found in the current directory.");
 				logInfo("Please run dub from the root directory of an existing package, or create a new");
@@ -344,6 +346,7 @@
         --vquiet         No output
         --registry=URL   Search the given DUB registry URL first when resolving
                          dependencies. Can be specified multiple times.
+        --root=PATH      Path to operate in instead of the current working dir
 
 Build/run options:
         --build=NAME     Specifies the type of build to perform. Note that
diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index 8fb1cd0..1bfe9ac 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -59,9 +59,10 @@
 
 	/// Initiales the package manager for the vibe application
 	/// under root.
-	this(PackageSupplier[] additional_package_suppliers = null)
+	this(PackageSupplier[] additional_package_suppliers = null, string root_path = ".")
 	{
-		m_cwd = Path(getcwd());
+		m_cwd = Path(root_path);
+		if (!m_cwd.absolute) m_cwd = Path(getcwd()) ~ m_cwd;
 
 		version(Windows){
 			m_systemDubPath = Path(environment.get("ProgramData")) ~ "dub/";
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@
 		updatePackageSearchPath();
 	}
 
+	/** Returns the root path (usually the current working directory).
+	*/
+	@property Path rootPath() const { return m_cwd; }
+
 	/// Returns the name listed in the package.json of the current
 	/// application.
 	@property string projectName() const { return m_project.name; }