diff --git a/src/index/recollindex.cpp b/src/index/recollindex.cpp
index 26a6abda..e45f053c 100644
--- a/src/index/recollindex.cpp
+++ b/src/index/recollindex.cpp
@@ -585,6 +585,10 @@ static vector<string> fileToArgs(const string& fn)
 }
 
 
+// Working directory before we change: it's simpler to change early
+// but some options need the original for computing absolute paths.
+static std::string orig_cwd;
+
 // A bit of history: it's difficult to pass non-ASCII parameters
 // (e.g. path names) on the command line under Windows without using
 // Unicode. It was first thought possible to use a temporary file to
@@ -725,6 +729,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         exit(0);
     }
 
+    orig_cwd = path_cwd();
     string rundir;
     config->getConfParam("idxrundir", rundir);
     if (!rundir.empty()) {
@@ -775,6 +780,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         if (aremain != 1) 
             Usage();
         string top = args[argidx++]; aremain--;
+        top = path_canon(top, &orig_cwd);
         bool status = recursive_index(config, top, selpatterns);
         if (confindexer && !confindexer->getReason().empty()) {
             addIdxReason("indexer", confindexer->getReason());
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.cpp b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
index 2ddb39a1..0270fcfa 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
@@ -756,11 +756,7 @@ string path_absolute(const string& is)
     path_slashize(s);
 #endif
     if (!path_isabsolute(s)) {
-        char buf[MAXPATHLEN];
-        if (!getcwd(buf, MAXPATHLEN)) {
-            return string();
-        }
-        s = path_cat(string(buf), s);
+        s = path_cat(path_cwd(), s);
 #ifdef _WIN32
         path_slashize(s);
 #endif
@@ -783,16 +779,11 @@ string path_canon(const string& is, const string* cwd)
 #endif
 
     if (!path_isabsolute(s)) {
-        char buf[MAXPATHLEN];
-        const char *cwdp = buf;
         if (cwd) {
-            cwdp = cwd->c_str();
+            s = path_cat(*cwd, s);
         } else {
-            if (!getcwd(buf, MAXPATHLEN)) {
-                return string();
-            }
+            s = path_cat(path_cwd(), s);
         }
-        s = path_cat(string(cwdp), s);
     }
     vector<string> elems;
     stringToTokens(s, elems, "/");
@@ -871,6 +862,27 @@ bool path_chdir(const std::string& path)
     return CHDIR(syspath) == 0;
 }
 
+std::string path_cwd()
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    wchar_t *wd = _wgetcwd(nullptr, 0);
+    if (nullptr == wd) {
+        return std::string();
+    }
+    string sdname;
+    wchartoutf8(wd, sdname);
+    free(wd);
+    path_slashize(sdname);
+    return sdname;
+#else
+    char wd[MAXPATHLEN+1];
+    if (nullptr == getcwd(wd, MAXPATHLEN+1)) {
+        return string();
+    }
+    return wd;
+#endif
+}
+
 bool path_unlink(const std::string& path)
 {
     SYSPATH(path, syspath);
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.h b/src/utils/pathut.h
index cb390473..f86f62dc 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.h
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.h
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ extern bool path_makepath(const std::string& path, int mode);
 
 ///
 extern bool path_chdir(const std::string& path);
+extern std::string path_cwd();
 extern bool path_unlink(const std::string& path);
 
 /* Open file, trying to do the right thing with non-ASCII paths on