diff --git a/examples/custom-backend/main.rs b/examples/custom-backend/main.rs
index 03d138c95..3dfe04a9c 100644
--- a/examples/custom-backend/main.rs
+++ b/examples/custom-backend/main.rs
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ fn create_store_factories() -> StoreFactories {
 
 fn run_custom_command(
     ui: &mut Ui,
-    _command_helper: &CommandHelper,
+    command_helper: &CommandHelper,
     command: CustomCommands,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     match command {
         CustomCommands::InitJit => {
-            let wc_path = ui.cwd();
+            let wc_path = command_helper.cwd();
             // Initialize a workspace with the custom backend
             Workspace::init_with_backend(ui.settings(), wc_path, |store_path| {
                 Box::new(JitBackend::init(store_path))
diff --git a/src/cli_util.rs b/src/cli_util.rs
index e07fa135b..abeb8451d 100644
--- a/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 use std::collections::{HashSet, VecDeque};
-use std::env::{ArgsOs, VarError};
+use std::env::{self, ArgsOs, VarError};
 use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 use std::iter;
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ impl TracingSubscription {
 
 pub struct CommandHelper {
     app: clap::Command,
+    cwd: PathBuf,
     string_args: Vec<String>,
     global_args: GlobalArgs,
     store_factories: StoreFactories,
@@ -268,12 +269,14 @@ pub struct CommandHelper {
 impl CommandHelper {
     pub fn new(
         app: clap::Command,
+        cwd: PathBuf,
         string_args: Vec<String>,
         global_args: GlobalArgs,
         store_factories: StoreFactories,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             app,
+            cwd,
             string_args,
             global_args,
             store_factories,
@@ -284,6 +287,10 @@ impl CommandHelper {
         &self.app
     }
 
+    pub fn cwd(&self) -> &Path {
+        &self.cwd
+    }
+
     pub fn string_args(&self) -> &Vec<String> {
         &self.string_args
     }
@@ -301,7 +308,7 @@ impl CommandHelper {
 
     pub fn load_workspace(&self, ui: &Ui) -> Result<Workspace, CommandError> {
         let wc_path_str = self.global_args.repository.as_deref().unwrap_or(".");
-        let wc_path = ui.cwd().join(wc_path_str);
+        let wc_path = self.cwd.join(wc_path_str);
         Workspace::load(ui.settings(), &wc_path, &self.store_factories).map_err(|err| match err {
             WorkspaceLoadError::NoWorkspaceHere(wc_path) => {
                 let message = format!("There is no jj repo in \"{wc_path_str}\"");
@@ -383,6 +390,7 @@ jj init --git-repo=.",
         WorkspaceCommandHelper::new(
             ui,
             workspace,
+            self.cwd.clone(),
             self.string_args.clone(),
             &self.global_args,
             repo,
@@ -408,6 +416,7 @@ impl WorkspaceCommandHelper {
     pub fn new(
         ui: &mut Ui,
         workspace: Workspace,
+        cwd: PathBuf,
         string_args: Vec<String>,
         global_args: &GlobalArgs,
         repo: Arc<ReadonlyRepo>,
@@ -426,7 +435,7 @@ impl WorkspaceCommandHelper {
             working_copy_shared_with_git = git_workdir == workspace.workspace_root().as_path();
         }
         Ok(Self {
-            cwd: ui.cwd().to_owned(),
+            cwd,
             string_args,
             global_args: global_args.clone(),
             settings,
@@ -1764,11 +1773,13 @@ impl CliRunner {
     }
 
     pub fn run(self, ui: &mut Ui) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+        let cwd = env::current_dir().unwrap(); // TODO: maybe map_err to CommandError?
         ui.reset(crate::config::read_config()?);
         let string_args = expand_args(ui, &self.app, std::env::args_os())?;
         let (matches, args) = parse_args(ui, &self.app, &self.tracing_subscription, &string_args)?;
         let command_helper = CommandHelper::new(
             self.app,
+            cwd,
             string_args,
             args.global_args,
             self.store_factories.unwrap_or_default(),
diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index 59b616a0b..aa6e5a199 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ fn cmd_init(ui: &mut Ui, command: &CommandHelper, args: &InitArgs) -> Result<(),
     if command.global_args().repository.is_some() {
         return Err(user_error("'--repository' cannot be used with 'init'"));
     }
-    let wc_path = ui.cwd().join(&args.destination);
+    let wc_path = command.cwd().join(&args.destination);
     match fs::create_dir(&wc_path) {
         Ok(()) => {}
         Err(_) if wc_path.is_dir() => {}
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ fn cmd_init(ui: &mut Ui, command: &CommandHelper, args: &InitArgs) -> Result<(),
         .map_err(|e| user_error(format!("Failed to create workspace: {e}")))?; // raced?
 
     if let Some(git_store_str) = &args.git_repo {
-        let mut git_store_path = ui.cwd().join(git_store_str);
+        let mut git_store_path = command.cwd().join(git_store_str);
         git_store_path = git_store_path
             .canonicalize()
             .map_err(|_| user_error(format!("{} doesn't exist", git_store_path.display())))?;
@@ -1190,7 +1190,7 @@ Set `ui.allow-init-native` to allow initializing a repo with the native backend.
         }
         Workspace::init_local(ui.settings(), &wc_path)?;
     };
-    let cwd = ui.cwd().canonicalize().unwrap();
+    let cwd = command.cwd().canonicalize().unwrap();
     let relative_wc_path = file_util::relative_path(&cwd, &wc_path);
     writeln!(ui, "Initialized repo in \"{}\"", relative_wc_path.display())?;
     if args.git && wc_path.join(".git").exists() {
@@ -3430,7 +3430,7 @@ fn cmd_workspace_add(
     args: &WorkspaceAddArgs,
 ) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     let old_workspace_command = command.workspace_helper(ui)?;
-    let destination_path = ui.cwd().join(&args.destination);
+    let destination_path = command.cwd().join(&args.destination);
     if destination_path.exists() {
         return Err(user_error("Workspace already exists"));
     } else {
@@ -3469,6 +3469,7 @@ fn cmd_workspace_add(
     let mut new_workspace_command = WorkspaceCommandHelper::new(
         ui,
         new_workspace,
+        command.cwd().to_owned(),
         command.string_args().clone(),
         command.global_args(),
         repo,
@@ -3793,13 +3794,13 @@ fn cmd_git_clone(
     if command.global_args().repository.is_some() {
         return Err(user_error("'--repository' cannot be used with 'git clone'"));
     }
-    let source = absolute_git_source(ui.cwd(), &args.source);
+    let source = absolute_git_source(command.cwd(), &args.source);
     let wc_path_str = args
         .destination
         .as_deref()
         .or_else(|| clone_destination_for_source(&source))
         .ok_or_else(|| user_error("No destination specified and wasn't able to guess it"))?;
-    let wc_path = ui.cwd().join(wc_path_str);
+    let wc_path = command.cwd().join(wc_path_str);
     let wc_path_existed = wc_path.exists();
     if wc_path_existed {
         if !is_empty_dir(&wc_path) {
diff --git a/src/ui.rs b/src/ui.rs
index a5d43b9a6..f5c15c614 100644
--- a/src/ui.rs
+++ b/src/ui.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 use std::io::{Stderr, Stdout, Write};
-use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::{Child, ChildStdin, Stdio};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::{fmt, io, mem};
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ pub struct Ui {
     color: bool,
     paginate: PaginationChoice,
     progress_indicator: bool,
-    cwd: PathBuf,
     formatter_factory: FormatterFactory,
     output: UiOutput,
     settings: UserSettings,
@@ -123,13 +121,11 @@ impl Default for Ui {
 impl Ui {
     pub fn new() -> Ui {
         let settings = UserSettings::from_config(crate::config::default_config());
-        let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap();
         let color = use_color(color_setting(&settings));
         let progress_indicator = progress_indicator_setting(&settings);
         let formatter_factory = FormatterFactory::prepare(&settings, color);
         Ui {
             color,
-            cwd,
             formatter_factory,
             paginate: PaginationChoice::Auto,
             progress_indicator,
@@ -177,10 +173,6 @@ impl Ui {
         self.color
     }
 
-    pub fn cwd(&self) -> &Path {
-        &self.cwd
-    }
-
     pub fn settings(&self) -> &UserSettings {
         &self.settings
     }