diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index a1c249b0..b94fc047 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
 # It is not intended for manual editing.
+
 [[package]]
 name = "MacTypes-sys"
 version = "2.1.0"
diff --git a/components/site/src/lib.rs b/components/site/src/lib.rs
index ea2467a4..57ba91d1 100644
--- a/components/site/src/lib.rs
+++ b/components/site/src/lib.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ pub struct Site {
 
 impl Site {
     /// Parse a site at the given path. Defaults to the current dir
-    /// Passing in a path is only used in tests
+    /// Passing in a path is possible using the `base-path` command line build option
     pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, config_file: &str) -> Result<Site> {
         let path = path.as_ref();
         let mut config = get_config(path, config_file);
diff --git a/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/cli-usage.md b/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/cli-usage.md
index 95267f53..4b247cad 100644
--- a/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/cli-usage.md
+++ b/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/cli-usage.md
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ $ zola build --base-url $DEPLOY_URL
 This is useful for example when you want to deploy previews of a site to a dynamic URL, such as Netlify
 deploy previews.
 
+You can override the default `base_path` by passing a new directory to the `base-path` flag. If no `base-path` flag
+is provided, zola defaults to your current working directory. This is useful if your zola project is located in
+a different directory from where you're executing zola from.
+
+```bash
+$ zola build --base-path /path/to/zola/site
+```
+
 You can override the default output directory 'public' by passing a other value to the `output-dir` flag.
 
 ```bash
@@ -67,6 +75,7 @@ $ zola serve --interface 0.0.0.0
 $ zola serve --interface 0.0.0.0 --port 2000
 $ zola serve --interface 0.0.0.0 --base-url 127.0.0.1
 $ zola serve --interface 0.0.0.0 --port 2000 --output-dir www/public
+$ zola serve --interface 0.0.0.0 --port 2000 --base-path mysite/ --output-dir mysite/www/public
 $ zola serve --watch-only
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 304d135b..500aa042 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ pub fn build_cli() -> App<'static, 'static> {
                         .long("base-url")
                         .takes_value(true)
                         .help("Force the base URL to be that value (default to the one in config.toml)"),
+                    Arg::with_name("base_path")
+                        .short("b")
+                        .long("base-path")
+                        .takes_value(true)
+                        .help("Force the base site path to a certain directory [default: the current working directory]"),
                     Arg::with_name("output_dir")
                         .short("o")
                         .long("output-dir")
@@ -56,6 +61,11 @@ pub fn build_cli() -> App<'static, 'static> {
                         .default_value("public")
                         .takes_value(true)
                         .help("Outputs the generated site in the given path"),
+                    Arg::with_name("base_path")
+                        .short("b")
+                        .long("base-path")
+                        .takes_value(true)
+                        .help("Force the base site path to a certain directory [default: the current working directory]"),
                     Arg::with_name("base_url")
                         .short("u")
                         .long("base-url")
diff --git a/src/cmd/build.rs b/src/cmd/build.rs
index aca974e2..6bc8dc8d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/build.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/build.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 use std::env;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use errors::Result;
 use site::Site;
 
 use console;
 
-pub fn build(config_file: &str, base_url: Option<&str>, output_dir: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let mut site = Site::new(env::current_dir().unwrap(), config_file)?;
+pub fn build(
+    config_file: &str,
+    base_path: Option<&str>,
+    base_url: Option<&str>,
+    output_dir: &str,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    let bp = base_path.map(PathBuf::from).unwrap_or(env::current_dir().unwrap());
+    let mut site = Site::new(bp, config_file)?;
     site.set_output_path(output_dir);
     if let Some(b) = base_url {
         site.set_base_url(b.to_string());
diff --git a/src/cmd/serve.rs b/src/cmd/serve.rs
index 07544a06..50894c36 100644
--- a/src/cmd/serve.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/serve.rs
@@ -114,14 +114,15 @@ fn rebuild_done_handling(broadcaster: &Option<Sender>, res: Result<()>, reload_p
     }
 }
 
-fn create_new_site(
+fn create_new_site<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     interface: &str,
     port: u16,
     output_dir: &str,
+    base_path: P,
     base_url: &str,
     config_file: &str,
 ) -> Result<(Site, String)> {
-    let mut site = Site::new(env::current_dir().unwrap(), config_file)?;
+    let mut site = Site::new(base_path, config_file)?;
 
     let base_address = format!("{}:{}", base_url, port);
     let address = format!("{}:{}", interface, port);
@@ -166,12 +167,15 @@ pub fn serve(
     interface: &str,
     port: u16,
     output_dir: &str,
+    base_path: Option<&str>,
     base_url: &str,
     config_file: &str,
     watch_only: bool,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let start = Instant::now();
-    let (mut site, address) = create_new_site(interface, port, output_dir, base_url, config_file)?;
+    let bp = base_path.map(PathBuf::from).unwrap_or(env::current_dir().unwrap());
+    let (mut site, address) =
+        create_new_site(interface, port, output_dir, bp.clone(), base_url, config_file)?;
     console::report_elapsed_time(start);
 
     // Setup watchers
@@ -180,28 +184,28 @@ pub fn serve(
     let (tx, rx) = channel();
     let mut watcher = watcher(tx, Duration::from_secs(1)).unwrap();
     watcher
-        .watch("content/", RecursiveMode::Recursive)
+        .watch(bp.join("content/"), RecursiveMode::Recursive)
         .map_err(|e| ZolaError::chain("Can't watch the `content` folder. Does it exist?", e))?;
     watcher
-        .watch(config_file, RecursiveMode::Recursive)
+        .watch(bp.join(config_file), RecursiveMode::Recursive)
         .map_err(|e| ZolaError::chain("Can't watch the `config` file. Does it exist?", e))?;
 
-    if Path::new("static").exists() {
+    if bp.join("static").exists() {
         watching_static = true;
         watcher
-            .watch("static/", RecursiveMode::Recursive)
+            .watch(bp.join("static/"), RecursiveMode::Recursive)
             .map_err(|e| ZolaError::chain("Can't watch the `static` folder.", e))?;
     }
 
-    if Path::new("templates").exists() {
+    if bp.join("templates").exists() {
         watching_templates = true;
         watcher
-            .watch("templates/", RecursiveMode::Recursive)
+            .watch(bp.join("templates/"), RecursiveMode::Recursive)
             .map_err(|e| ZolaError::chain("Can't watch the `templates` folder.", e))?;
     }
 
     // Sass support is optional so don't make it an error to no have a sass folder
-    let _ = watcher.watch("sass/", RecursiveMode::Recursive);
+    let _ = watcher.watch(bp.join("sass/"), RecursiveMode::Recursive);
 
     let ws_address = format!("{}:{}", interface, site.live_reload.unwrap());
     let output_path = Path::new(output_dir).to_path_buf();
@@ -258,8 +262,6 @@ pub fn serve(
         None
     };
 
-    let pwd = env::current_dir().unwrap();
-
     let mut watchers = vec!["content", "config.toml"];
     if watching_static {
         watchers.push("static");
@@ -273,7 +275,7 @@ pub fn serve(
 
     println!(
         "Listening for changes in {}{}{{{}}}",
-        pwd.display(),
+        bp.display(),
         MAIN_SEPARATOR,
         watchers.join(", ")
     );
@@ -349,7 +351,8 @@ pub fn serve(
                         if path.is_file() && is_temp_file(&path) {
                             continue;
                         }
-                        let (change_kind, partial_path) = detect_change_kind(&pwd, &path);
+                        let (change_kind, partial_path) =
+                            detect_change_kind(&bp.canonicalize().unwrap(), &path);
 
                         // We only care about changes in non-empty folders
                         if path.is_dir() && is_folder_empty(&path) {
@@ -381,6 +384,7 @@ pub fn serve(
                                     interface,
                                     port,
                                     output_dir,
+                                    bp.clone(),
                                     base_url,
                                     config_file,
                                 )
@@ -401,7 +405,7 @@ pub fn serve(
                         );
 
                         let start = Instant::now();
-                        match detect_change_kind(&pwd, &path) {
+                        match detect_change_kind(&bp.canonicalize().unwrap(), &path) {
                             (ChangeKind::Content, _) => {
                                 console::info(&format!("-> Content changed {}", path.display()));
                                 // Force refresh
@@ -420,6 +424,7 @@ pub fn serve(
                                     interface,
                                     port,
                                     output_dir,
+                                    bp.clone(),
                                     base_url,
                                     config_file,
                                 )
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 987e08bc..2ad43bac 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,12 @@ fn main() {
             console::info("Building site...");
             let start = Instant::now();
             let output_dir = matches.value_of("output_dir").unwrap();
-            match cmd::build(config_file, matches.value_of("base_url"), output_dir) {
+            match cmd::build(
+                config_file,
+                matches.value_of("base_path"),
+                matches.value_of("base_url"),
+                output_dir,
+            ) {
                 Ok(()) => console::report_elapsed_time(start),
                 Err(e) => {
                     console::unravel_errors("Failed to build the site", &e);
@@ -79,9 +84,18 @@ fn main() {
             }
             let watch_only = matches.is_present("watch_only");
             let output_dir = matches.value_of("output_dir").unwrap();
+            let base_path = matches.value_of("base_path");
             let base_url = matches.value_of("base_url").unwrap();
             console::info("Building site...");
-            match cmd::serve(interface, port, output_dir, base_url, config_file, watch_only) {
+            match cmd::serve(
+                interface,
+                port,
+                output_dir,
+                base_path,
+                base_url,
+                config_file,
+                watch_only,
+            ) {
                 Ok(()) => (),
                 Err(e) => {
                     console::unravel_errors("", &e);