diff --git a/source/app.d b/source/app.d
index 9f8878d..5efdb1a 100644
--- a/source/app.d
+++ b/source/app.d
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@
 		Dub dub = new Dub(package_suppliers, root_path);
 		string def_config;
 
+		// make the CWD package available so that for example sub packages can reference their
+		// parent package.
+		try dub.packageManager.getTemporaryPackage(Path(root_path), Version("~master"));
+		catch (Exception e) { logDiagnostic("No package found in current working directory."); }
+
 		bool loadCwdPackage(Package pack)
 		{
 			if (!existsFile(dub.rootPath~"package.json") && !existsFile(dub.rootPath~"source/app.d")) {
@@ -234,8 +239,7 @@
 					pack = dub.packageManager.getFirstPackage(package_name);
 					enforce(pack, "Failed to find a package named '"~package_name~"'.");
 					logInfo("Building package %s in %s", pack.name, pack.path.toNativeString());
-					root_path = pack.path.toNativeString();
-					dub = new Dub(package_suppliers, root_path);
+					dub.rootPath = pack.path;
 				}
 				if (!loadCwdPackage(pack)) return 1;
 
diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index 9e923b2..f072f2b 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@
 	/** Returns the root path (usually the current working directory).
 	*/
 	@property Path rootPath() const { return m_rootPath; }
+	/// ditto
+	@property void rootPath(Path root_path)
+	{
+		m_rootPath = root_path;
+		if (!m_rootPath.absolute) m_rootPath = Path(getcwd()) ~ m_rootPath;
+	}
 
 	/// Returns the name listed in the package.json of the current
 	/// application.