diff --git a/root/wrapper.go b/root/wrapper.go
index e8ad519..cdcbf61 100644
--- a/root/wrapper.go
+++ b/root/wrapper.go
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ func restoreTerminal() {
 	}
 }
 
+func syncProcessCWD(cwd string) {
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(cwd) {
+		return
+	}
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwd)
+}
+
 // runWrapper sets up the pty environment, launches the shell,
 // and manages the main input loop to provide real-time suggestions
 // it handles raw terminal mode to intercept keystrokes and
@@ -494,6 +501,7 @@ func runWrapper() {
 
 			if cwd, ok := strings.CutPrefix(query, "IRIS_CWD:"); ok {
 				spec.SetCWD(cwd)
+				syncProcessCWD(cwd)
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/root/wrapper_test.go b/root/wrapper_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01bffa4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root/wrapper_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package root
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func wantDir(t *testing.T, path string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	resolved, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return resolved
+}
+
+func currentDir(t *testing.T) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return wantDir(t, cwd)
+}
+
+func TestSyncProcessCWDFollowsShell(t *testing.T) {
+	shellDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Chdir(t.TempDir())
+
+	syncProcessCWD(shellDir)
+
+	if got := currentDir(t); got != wantDir(t, shellDir) {
+		t.Fatalf("os.Getwd() = %q, want %q", got, wantDir(t, shellDir))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSyncProcessCWDKeepsDirectoryOnBadPath(t *testing.T) {
+	launcherDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Chdir(launcherDir)
+
+	for _, cwd := range []string{"", "relative/path", filepath.Join(launcherDir, "does-not-exist")} {
+		syncProcessCWD(cwd)
+
+		if got := currentDir(t); got != wantDir(t, launcherDir) {
+			t.Fatalf("syncProcessCWD(%q) moved the process to %q, want %q", cwd, got, wantDir(t, launcherDir))
+		}
+	}
+}