diff --git a/crates/nu-std/std/dirs.nu b/crates/nu-std/std/dirs.nu
index 3154419935..c8bc148275 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/std/dirs.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-std/std/dirs.nu
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 # Maintain a list of working directories and navigate them
 
-# the directory stack
-# current slot is DIRS_POSITION, but that entry doesn't hold $PWD (until leaving it for some other)
-# till then, we let CD change PWD freely
+# The directory stack.
+#
+# Exception: the entry for the current directory contains an
+# irrelevant value. Instead, the source of truth for the working
+# directory is $env.PWD. It has to be this way because cd doesn't
+# know about this module.
+#
+# Example: the following state represents a user-facing directory
+# stack of [/a, /var/tmp, /c], and we are currently in /var/tmp .
+#
+#     PWD = /var/tmp
+#     DIRS_POSITION = 1
+#     DIRS_LIST = [/a, /b, /c]
+#
+# This situation could arise if we started with [/a, /b, /c], then
+# we changed directories from /b to /var/tmp.
 export-env {
     let-env DIRS_POSITION = 0
     let-env DIRS_LIST = [($env.PWD | path expand)]
@@ -20,9 +33,9 @@ export def-env add [
                 let span = (metadata $p).span
                 error make {msg: "not a directory", label: {text: "not a directory", start: $span.start, end: $span.end } }
             }
-        $abspaths = ($abspaths | append $exp)
-
+            $abspaths = ($abspaths | append $exp)
         }
+
         let-env DIRS_LIST = ($env.DIRS_LIST | insert ($env.DIRS_POSITION + 1) $abspaths | flatten)
 
 
@@ -35,7 +48,7 @@ export alias enter = add
 export def-env next [
     N:int = 1   # number of positions to move.
 ] {
-    _fetch $N    
+    _fetch $N
 }
 
 export alias n = next
@@ -44,7 +57,7 @@ export alias n = next
 export def-env prev [
     N:int = 1   # number of positions to move.
 ] {
-    _fetch (-1 * $N)    
+    _fetch (-1 * $N)
 }
 
 export alias p = prev
@@ -57,7 +70,8 @@ export def-env drop [] {
         if ($env.DIRS_POSITION >= ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) {$env.DIRS_POSITION = 0}
     }
 
-    _fetch -1 --forget_current   # step to previous slot
+    # step to previous slot
+    _fetch -1 --forget_current --always_cd
 
 }
 
@@ -69,8 +83,8 @@ export def-env show [] {
     for $p in ($env.DIRS_LIST | enumerate) {
         let is_act_slot = $p.index == $env.DIRS_POSITION
         $out = ($out | append [
-            [active, path]; 
-            [($is_act_slot), 
+            [active, path];
+            [($is_act_slot),
             (if $is_act_slot {$env.PWD} else {$p.item})   # show current PWD in lieu of active slot
             ]
         ])
@@ -105,9 +119,10 @@ export def-env goto [shell?: int] {
 export alias g = goto
 
 # fetch item helper
-def-env  _fetch [
+def-env _fetch [
     offset: int,        # signed change to position
     --forget_current    # true to skip saving PWD
+    --always_cd         # true to always cd
 ] {
     if not ($forget_current) {
         # first record current working dir in current slot of ring, to track what CD may have done.
@@ -116,13 +131,13 @@ def-env  _fetch [
 
     # figure out which entry to move to
     # nushell 'mod' operator is really 'remainder', can return negative values.
-    # see: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13683563/whats-the-difference-between-mod-and-remainder    
+    # see: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13683563/whats-the-difference-between-mod-and-remainder
     let len = ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)
     mut pos = ($env.DIRS_POSITION + $offset) mod $len
     if ($pos < 0) { $pos += $len}
 
     # if using a different position in ring, CD there.
-    if ($pos != $env.DIRS_POSITION) {
+    if ($always_cd or $pos != $env.DIRS_POSITION) {
         $env.DIRS_POSITION = $pos
         cd ($env.DIRS_LIST | get $pos )
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-std/tests/test_dirs.nu b/crates/nu-std/tests/test_dirs.nu
index 8954170621..a2c847b599 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/tests/test_dirs.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-std/tests/test_dirs.nu
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def before-each [] {
 
     mkdir $base_path $path_a $path_b
 
-    {base_path: $base_path, path_a:$path_a, path_b: $path_b}
+    {base_path: $base_path, path_a: $path_a, path_b: $path_b}
 }
 
 def after-each [] {
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ def test_dirs_command [] {
     # the def-env gets messed up
     use std dirs
 
+    # Stack: [BASE]
     assert equal [$c.base_path] $env.DIRS_LIST "list is just pwd after initialization"
 
     dirs next
@@ -54,24 +55,33 @@ def test_dirs_command [] {
     dirs prev
     assert equal $c.base_path $env.DIRS_LIST.0 "prev wraps at top of list"
 
+    # Stack becomes: [base PATH_B path_a]
     dirs add $c.path_b $c.path_a
     assert equal $c.path_b $env.PWD "add changes PWD to first added dir"
     assert length $env.DIRS_LIST 3 "add in fact adds to list"
     assert equal $c.path_a $env.DIRS_LIST.2 "add in fact adds to list"
 
+    # Stack becomes: [BASE path_b path_a]
     dirs next 2
     # assert (not) equal requires span.start of first arg < span.end of 2nd
     assert equal $env.PWD $c.base_path "next wraps at end of list"
 
+    # Stack becomes: [base path_b PATH_A]
     dirs prev 1
     assert equal $c.path_a $env.PWD "prev wraps at start of list"
     cur_dir_check $c.path_a "prev wraps to end from start of list"
 
+    # Stack becomes: [base PATH_B]
     dirs drop
     assert length $env.DIRS_LIST 2 "drop removes from list"
     assert equal $env.PWD $c.path_b "drop changes PWD to previous in list (before dropped element)"
 
     assert equal (dirs show) [[active path]; [false $c.base_path] [true $c.path_b]] "show table contains expected information"
+
+    # Stack becomes: [BASE]
+    dirs drop
+    assert length $env.DIRS_LIST 1 "drop removes from list"
+    assert equal $env.PWD $c.base_path "drop changes PWD (regression test for #9449)"
 }
 
 def test_dirs_next [] {