diff --git a/changelog/cwd-fix.dd b/changelog/cwd-fix.dd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16d1ca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/cwd-fix.dd
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Reverted v1.31.0 working directory change when using `dub run --root=<value>`
+
+DUB < v1.31.0 would run applications in the working directory it was invoked in,
+ignoring the `--root` argument.
+
+In v1.31.0, `dub` started to respect the `--root` argument and run programs in
+the requested directory.
+
+While sometimes desirable, this change was not intended, and has now been
+reverted. To restore the 1.31.0 behaivor, set `"workingDirectory"` to `"."` in
+the dub.json/dub.sdl file. This works both with older DUB versions and with
+future DUB versions.
diff --git a/source/dub/commandline.d b/source/dub/commandline.d
index 7d34440..bb85690 100644
--- a/source/dub/commandline.d
+++ b/source/dub/commandline.d
@@ -1211,6 +1211,8 @@
 		if (!gensettings.config.length)
 			gensettings.config = m_defaultConfig;
 		gensettings.runArgs = app_args;
+		// legacy compatibility, default working directory is always CWD
+		gensettings.overrideToolWorkingDirectory = getWorkingDirectory();
 
 		logDiagnostic("Generating using %s", m_generator);
 		dub.generateProject(m_generator, gensettings);
diff --git a/test/dub-as-a-library-cwd/dub.json b/test/dub-as-a-library-cwd/dub.json
index 15adddf..958f419 100644
--- a/test/dub-as-a-library-cwd/dub.json
+++ b/test/dub-as-a-library-cwd/dub.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "dub-as-a-library-cwd",
+	"workingDirectory": ".",
 	"dependencies": {
 		"dub": {
 			"path": "../.."
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root-2/.gitignore b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2278645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+.dub
+docs.json
+__dummy.html
+*.o
+*.obj
+/target-exe
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_run b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_run
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_run
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_test b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_test
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root-2/.no_test
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root-2/dub.json b/test/dub-custom-root-2/dub.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0d7508
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root-2/dub.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+	"name": "target-exe",
+	"workingDirectory": "source"
+}
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root-2/source/app.d b/test/dub-custom-root-2/source/app.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d07423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root-2/source/app.d
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import std.file;
+import std.path;
+import std.stdio;
+import std.string;
+
+void main()
+{
+	// run me from test/ with dub --root=dub-custom-root
+	string cwd = getcwd.chomp("/");
+	assert(cwd.endsWith("test/dub-custom-root-2/source"), cwd);
+	writeln("ok");
+}
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root.sh b/test/dub-custom-root.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f7e52ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+. $(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/common.sh
+
+pushd "$CURR_DIR"
+
+$DUB --root=dub-custom-root
+
+$DUB --root=dub-custom-root-2
+
+popd
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root/.gitignore b/test/dub-custom-root/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2278645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+.dub
+docs.json
+__dummy.html
+*.o
+*.obj
+/target-exe
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root/.no_run b/test/dub-custom-root/.no_run
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root/.no_run
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root/.no_test b/test/dub-custom-root/.no_test
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root/.no_test
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root/dub.json b/test/dub-custom-root/dub.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..172c135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root/dub.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+	"name": "target-exe"
+}
diff --git a/test/dub-custom-root/source/app.d b/test/dub-custom-root/source/app.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..612dfe0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub-custom-root/source/app.d
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import std.file;
+import std.path;
+import std.stdio;
+
+void main()
+{
+	// run me from test/ with dub --root=test/dub-custom-root
+	assert(getcwd.baseName == "test", getcwd);
+	writeln("ok");
+}