diff --git a/src/ploigos_step_runner/__main__.py b/src/ploigos_step_runner/__main__.py
index 85518f35..2fe78af7 100644
--- a/src/ploigos_step_runner/__main__.py
+++ b/src/ploigos_step_runner/__main__.py
@@ -111,7 +111,12 @@ def main(argv=None):
             sys.exit(102)
 
         config.set_step_config_overrides(args.step, args.step_config)
-        step_runner = StepRunner(config)
+        # it is VERY important that the working dir be an absolute path because some
+        # commands (looking at you maven) will change the context of relative paths on you
+        step_runner = StepRunner(
+            config=config,
+            work_dir_path=os.path.abspath('step-runner-working')
+        )
 
         try:
             if not step_runner.run_step(args.step, args.environment):
diff --git a/src/ploigos_step_runner/utils/maven.py b/src/ploigos_step_runner/utils/maven.py
index ceeb3d94..490c338d 100644
--- a/src/ploigos_step_runner/utils/maven.py
+++ b/src/ploigos_step_runner/utils/maven.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """Shared utils for maven operations.
 """
 
+import os
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 import sh
@@ -420,6 +421,15 @@ def write_effective_pom(
         If issue generating effective pom.
     """
 
+    if not os.path.isabs(output_path):
+        raise StepRunnerException(
+            f"Given output path ({output_path}) is not absolute which will mean your output"
+            f" file will actually end up being relative to the pom file ({pom_file_path}) rather"
+            " than your expected root. Rather then handling this, just give this function an"
+            " absolute path."
+            " If you are a user seeing this, a programmer messed up somewhere, report an issue."
+        )
+
     try:
         sh.mvn( # pylint: disable=no-member
             'help:effective-pom',
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_maven.py b/tests/utils/test_maven.py
index 5c90362e..4f031610 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_maven.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_maven.py
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ def test_add_maven_mirrors_dict_missing_mirror_of(self):
     @patch('sh.mvn', create=True)
     def test_write_effective_pom_success(self, mvn_mock):
         pom_file_path = 'input/pom.xml'
-        effective_pom_path = 'output/effective-pom.xml'
+        effective_pom_path = '/tmp/output/effective-pom.xml'
 
         actual_effective_pom_path = write_effective_pom(
             pom_file_path=pom_file_path,
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ def test_write_effective_pom_success(self, mvn_mock):
     @patch('sh.mvn', create=True)
     def test_write_effective_pom_fail(self, mvn_mock):
         pom_file_path = 'input/pom.xml'
-        effective_pom_path = 'output/effective-pom.xml'
+        effective_pom_path = '/tmp/output/effective-pom.xml'
 
         mvn_mock.side_effect = sh.ErrorReturnCode('mvn', b'mock stdout', b'mock error')
 
@@ -1012,3 +1012,32 @@ def test_write_effective_pom_fail(self, mvn_mock):
                 f'-f={pom_file_path}',
                 f'-Doutput={effective_pom_path}'
             )
+
+    @patch('sh.mvn', create=True)
+    def test_write_effective_pom_fail_not_absolute_path(self, mvn_mock):
+        pom_file_path = 'input/pom.xml'
+        effective_pom_path = 'output/effective-pom.xml'
+
+        mvn_mock.side_effect = sh.ErrorReturnCode('mvn', b'mock stdout', b'mock error')
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            StepRunnerException,
+            re.compile(
+                rf"Given output path \({effective_pom_path}\) is not absolute which will mean "
+                rf"your output file will actually end up being relative to the pom file "
+                rf"\({pom_file_path}\) rather than your expected root. Rather then handling this, "
+                rf"just give this function an absolute path. "
+                rf"If you are a user seeing this, a programmer messed up somewhere, "
+                rf"report an issue.",
+                re.DOTALL
+            )
+        ):
+            write_effective_pom(
+                pom_file_path=pom_file_path,
+                output_path=effective_pom_path
+            )
+            mvn_mock.assert_any_call(
+                'help:effective-pom',
+                f'-f={pom_file_path}',
+                f'-Doutput={effective_pom_path}'
+            )
\ No newline at end of file