diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostApplicationBuilder.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostApplicationBuilder.cs
index c26fdad6b7473..9962638c49d6a 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostApplicationBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostApplicationBuilder.cs
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ public HostApplicationBuilder(HostApplicationBuilderSettings? settings)
 
             if (!settings.DisableDefaults)
             {
-                HostingHostBuilderExtensions.ApplyDefaultHostConfiguration(Configuration, settings.Args);
+                if (settings.ContentRootPath is null && Configuration[HostDefaults.ContentRootKey] is null)
+                {
+                    HostingHostBuilderExtensions.SetDefaultContentRoot(Configuration);
+                }
+
+                HostingHostBuilderExtensions.AddDefaultHostConfigurationSources(Configuration, settings.Args);
             }
 
             // HostApplicationBuilderSettings override all other config sources.
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostingHostBuilderExtensions.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostingHostBuilderExtensions.cs
index ad09104a153ce..a22f5bf31ac8b 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostingHostBuilderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/src/HostingHostBuilderExtensions.cs
@@ -201,7 +201,13 @@ public static IHostBuilder ConfigureDefaults(this IHostBuilder builder, string[]
                           .UseServiceProviderFactory(context => new DefaultServiceProviderFactory(CreateDefaultServiceProviderOptions(context)));
         }
 
-        internal static void ApplyDefaultHostConfiguration(IConfigurationBuilder hostConfigBuilder, string[]? args)
+        private static void ApplyDefaultHostConfiguration(IConfigurationBuilder hostConfigBuilder, string[]? args)
+        {
+            SetDefaultContentRoot(hostConfigBuilder);
+            AddDefaultHostConfigurationSources(hostConfigBuilder, args);
+        }
+
+        internal static void SetDefaultContentRoot(IConfigurationBuilder hostConfigBuilder)
         {
             // If we're running anywhere other than C:\Windows\system32, we default to using the CWD for the ContentRoot.
             // However, since many things like Windows services and MSIX installers have C:\Windows\system32 as there CWD which is not likely
@@ -219,7 +225,10 @@ internal static void ApplyDefaultHostConfiguration(IConfigurationBuilder hostCon
                     new KeyValuePair<string, string?>(HostDefaults.ContentRootKey, cwd),
                 });
             }
+        }
 
+        internal static void AddDefaultHostConfigurationSources(IConfigurationBuilder hostConfigBuilder, string[]? args)
+        {
             hostConfigBuilder.AddEnvironmentVariables(prefix: "DOTNET_");
             if (args is { Length: > 0 })
             {
diff --git a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/HostApplicationBuilderTests.cs b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/HostApplicationBuilderTests.cs
index 458bf37eb7d00..d363814623f5d 100644
--- a/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/HostApplicationBuilderTests.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting/tests/UnitTests/HostApplicationBuilderTests.cs
@@ -229,39 +229,55 @@ public void DisableDefaultIHostEnvironmentValues()
             Assert.IsAssignableFrom<PhysicalFileProvider>(env.ContentRootFileProvider);
         }
 
-        [Fact]
-        public void ConfigurationSettingCanInfluenceEnvironment()
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        public void ConfigurationSettingCanInfluenceEnvironment(bool disableDefaults)
         {
+            var tempPath = Path.GetTempPath();
+
             using var config = new ConfigurationManager();
 
             config.AddInMemoryCollection(new KeyValuePair<string, string>[]
             {
                 new(HostDefaults.ApplicationKey, "AppA" ),
                 new(HostDefaults.EnvironmentKey, "EnvA" ),
+                new(HostDefaults.ContentRootKey, tempPath)
             });
 
             var builder = new HostApplicationBuilder(new HostApplicationBuilderSettings
             {
-                DisableDefaults = true,
+                DisableDefaults = disableDefaults,
                 Configuration = config,
             });
 
             Assert.Equal("AppA", builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.ApplicationKey]);
             Assert.Equal("EnvA", builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.EnvironmentKey]);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.ContentRootKey]);
 
             Assert.Equal("AppA", builder.Environment.ApplicationName);
             Assert.Equal("EnvA", builder.Environment.EnvironmentName);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, builder.Environment.ContentRootPath);
+            var fileProviderFromBuilder = Assert.IsType<PhysicalFileProvider>(builder.Environment.ContentRootFileProvider);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, fileProviderFromBuilder.Root);
 
             using IHost host = builder.Build();
 
             var hostEnvironmentFromServices = host.Services.GetRequiredService<IHostEnvironment>();
             Assert.Equal("AppA", hostEnvironmentFromServices.ApplicationName);
             Assert.Equal("EnvA", hostEnvironmentFromServices.EnvironmentName);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, hostEnvironmentFromServices.ContentRootPath);
+            var fileProviderFromServices = Assert.IsType<PhysicalFileProvider>(hostEnvironmentFromServices.ContentRootFileProvider);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, fileProviderFromServices.Root);
         }
 
-        [Fact]
-        public void DirectSettingsOverrideConfigurationSetting()
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        public void DirectSettingsOverrideConfigurationSetting(bool disableDefaults)
         {
+            var tempPath = Path.GetTempPath();
+
             using var config = new ConfigurationManager();
 
             config.AddInMemoryCollection(new KeyValuePair<string, string>[]
@@ -272,23 +288,31 @@ public void DirectSettingsOverrideConfigurationSetting()
 
             var builder = new HostApplicationBuilder(new HostApplicationBuilderSettings
             {
-                DisableDefaults = true,
+                DisableDefaults = disableDefaults,
                 Configuration = config,
                 ApplicationName = "AppB",
                 EnvironmentName = "EnvB",
+                ContentRootPath = tempPath,
             });
 
             Assert.Equal("AppB", builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.ApplicationKey]);
             Assert.Equal("EnvB", builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.EnvironmentKey]);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, builder.Configuration[HostDefaults.ContentRootKey]);
 
             Assert.Equal("AppB", builder.Environment.ApplicationName);
             Assert.Equal("EnvB", builder.Environment.EnvironmentName);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, builder.Environment.ContentRootPath);
+            var fileProviderFromBuilder = Assert.IsType<PhysicalFileProvider>(builder.Environment.ContentRootFileProvider);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, fileProviderFromBuilder.Root);
 
             using IHost host = builder.Build();
 
             var hostEnvironmentFromServices = host.Services.GetRequiredService<IHostEnvironment>();
             Assert.Equal("AppB", hostEnvironmentFromServices.ApplicationName);
             Assert.Equal("EnvB", hostEnvironmentFromServices.EnvironmentName);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, hostEnvironmentFromServices.ContentRootPath);
+            var fileProviderFromServices = Assert.IsType<PhysicalFileProvider>(hostEnvironmentFromServices.ContentRootFileProvider);
+            Assert.Equal(tempPath, fileProviderFromServices.Root);
         }
 
         [Fact]