diff --git a/e2e/config/1.toml b/e2e/config/1.toml
index fb8ec625..f3111499 100644
--- a/e2e/config/1.toml
+++ b/e2e/config/1.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-workdir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w1"
-rundir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w1/run/gluster"
+workdir = "w1"
+rundir = "w1/run/gluster"
 logfile = "w1.log"
 peeraddress = "127.0.0.1:24008"
 clientaddress = "127.0.0.1:24007"
diff --git a/e2e/config/2.toml b/e2e/config/2.toml
index 4ccf9d2f..0844066d 100644
--- a/e2e/config/2.toml
+++ b/e2e/config/2.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-workdir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w2"
-rundir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w2/run/gluster"
+workdir = "w2"
+rundir = "w2/run/gluster"
 logfile = "w2.log"
 peeraddress = "127.0.0.1:23008"
 clientaddress = "127.0.0.1:23007"
diff --git a/e2e/config/3.toml b/e2e/config/3.toml
index 4d91c793..29947531 100644
--- a/e2e/config/3.toml
+++ b/e2e/config/3.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-workdir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w3"
-rundir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w3/run/gluster"
+workdir = "w3"
+rundir = "w3/run/gluster"
 logfile = "w3.log"
 peeraddress = "127.0.0.1:22008"
 clientaddress = "127.0.0.1:22007"
diff --git a/e2e/config/4.toml b/e2e/config/4.toml
index 8632a437..3b9cf581 100644
--- a/e2e/config/4.toml
+++ b/e2e/config/4.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-workdir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w4"
-rundir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test/w4/run/gluster"
+workdir = "w4"
+rundir = "w4/run/gluster"
 logfile = "w4.log"
 peeraddress = "127.0.0.1:21008"
 clientaddress = "127.0.0.1:21007"
diff --git a/e2e/main_test.go b/e2e/main_test.go
index ffa27a86..eae44701 100644
--- a/e2e/main_test.go
+++ b/e2e/main_test.go
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	binDir   string
-	functest bool
+	binDir      string
+	baseWorkdir = "/tmp/gd2_func_test"
+	functest    bool
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 	flag.BoolVar(&functest, "functest", false, "Run or skip functional test")
 	flag.StringVar(&binDir, "bindir", defBinDir, "The directory containing glusterd2 binary")
+	flag.StringVar(&baseWorkdir, "workdir", baseWorkdir, "The base directory for test working directories")
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if !functest {
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	}
 
 	// Cleanup leftovers from previous test runs. But don't cleanup after.
-	os.RemoveAll("/tmp/gd2_func_test")
+	os.RemoveAll(baseWorkdir)
 
 	v := m.Run()
 	os.Exit(v)
diff --git a/e2e/utils_test.go b/e2e/utils_test.go
index 457ce730..895b7619 100644
--- a/e2e/utils_test.go
+++ b/e2e/utils_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ type gdProcess struct {
 	ClientAddress string `toml:"clientaddress"`
 	PeerAddress   string `toml:"peeraddress"`
 	Workdir       string `toml:"workdir"`
+	Rundir        string `toml:"rundir"`
 	uuid          string
 }
 
@@ -38,6 +40,17 @@ func (g *gdProcess) Stop() error {
 	return g.Cmd.Process.Kill()
 }
 
+func (g *gdProcess) UpdateDirs() {
+	g.Workdir = path.Clean(g.Workdir)
+	if !path.IsAbs(g.Workdir) {
+		g.Workdir = path.Join(baseWorkdir, g.Workdir)
+	}
+	g.Rundir = path.Clean(g.Rundir)
+	if !path.IsAbs(g.Rundir) {
+		g.Rundir = path.Join(baseWorkdir, g.Rundir)
+	}
+}
+
 func (g *gdProcess) EraseWorkdir() error {
 	return os.RemoveAll(g.Workdir)
 }
@@ -103,6 +116,7 @@ func spawnGlusterd(configFilePath string, cleanStart bool) (*gdProcess, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	g.UpdateDirs()
 	if cleanStart {
 		g.EraseWorkdir() // cleanup leftovers from previous test
 	}
@@ -111,8 +125,14 @@ func spawnGlusterd(configFilePath string, cleanStart bool) (*gdProcess, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	absConfigFilePath, err := filepath.Abs(configFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	g.Cmd = exec.Command(path.Join(binDir, "glusterd2"),
-		"--config", configFilePath,
+		"--config", absConfigFilePath,
+		"--workdir", g.Workdir,
+		"--rundir", g.Rundir,
 		"--logdir", path.Join(g.Workdir, "log"),
 		"--logfile", "glusterd2.log")