diff --git a/src/api/build.ts b/src/api/build.ts
index 5fd251c76..ac563de8d 100644
--- a/src/api/build.ts
+++ b/src/api/build.ts
@@ -16,19 +16,19 @@ type Opts = {
 	routes?: string;
 	dest?: string;
 	output?: string;
-	static_files?: string;
+	static?: string;
 	legacy?: boolean;
 	bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack';
 	oncompile?: ({ type, result }: { type: string, result: CompileResult }) => void;
 };
 
 export async function build({
-	cwd = process.cwd(),
-	src = path.join(cwd, 'src'),
-	routes = path.join(cwd, 'src/routes'),
-	output = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__'),
-	static_files = path.join(cwd, 'static'),
-	dest = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__/build'),
+	cwd,
+	src = 'src',
+	routes = 'src/routes',
+	output = '__sapper__',
+	static: static_files = 'static',
+	dest = '__sapper__/build',
 
 	bundler,
 	legacy = false,
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ export async function build({
 }: Opts = {}) {
 	bundler = validate_bundler(bundler);
 
+	cwd = path.resolve(cwd);
+	src = path.resolve(cwd, src);
+	dest = path.resolve(cwd, dest);
+	routes = path.resolve(cwd, routes);
+	output = path.resolve(cwd, output);
+	static_files = path.resolve(cwd, static_files);
+	dest = path.resolve(cwd, dest);
+
 	if (legacy && bundler === 'webpack') {
 		throw new Error(`Legacy builds are not supported for projects using webpack`);
 	}
diff --git a/src/api/dev.ts b/src/api/dev.ts
index 405a7275e..d5fb13e2a 100644
--- a/src/api/dev.ts
+++ b/src/api/dev.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type Opts = {
 	dest?: string,
 	routes?: string,
 	output?: string,
-	static_files?: string,
+	static?: string,
 	'dev-port'?: number,
 	live?: boolean,
 	hot?: boolean,
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 		dest: string;
 		routes: string;
 		output: string;
-		static_files: string;
+		static: string;
 	}
 	port: number;
 	closed: boolean;
@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 	}
 
 	constructor({
-		cwd = process.cwd(),
-		src = path.join(cwd, 'src'),
-		routes = path.join(cwd, 'src/routes'),
-		output = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__'),
-		static_files = path.join(cwd, 'static'),
-		dest = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__/dev'),
+		cwd = '.',
+		src = 'src',
+		routes = 'src/routes',
+		output = '__sapper__',
+		static: static_files = 'static',
+		dest = '__sapper__/dev',
 		'dev-port': dev_port,
 		live,
 		hot,
@@ -84,8 +84,18 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 	}: Opts) {
 		super();
 
+		cwd = path.resolve(cwd);
+
 		this.bundler = validate_bundler(bundler);
-		this.dirs = { cwd, src, dest, routes, output, static_files };
+		this.dirs = {
+			cwd,
+			src: path.resolve(cwd, src),
+			dest: path.resolve(cwd, dest),
+			routes: path.resolve(cwd, routes),
+			output: path.resolve(cwd, output),
+			static: path.resolve(cwd, static_files)
+		};
+
 		this.port = port;
 		this.closed = false;
 
@@ -133,7 +143,7 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 			this.port = await ports.find(3000);
 		}
 
-		const { cwd, src, dest, routes, output, static_files } = this.dirs;
+		const { cwd, src, dest, routes, output, static: static_files } = this.dirs;
 		rimraf.sync(dest);
 		mkdirp.sync(`${dest}/client`);
 		if (this.bundler === 'rollup') copy_shimport(dest);
diff --git a/src/api/export.ts b/src/api/export.ts
index 86bf80418..0d6d47108 100644
--- a/src/api/export.ts
+++ b/src/api/export.ts
@@ -29,15 +29,20 @@ type URL = url.UrlWithStringQuery;
 export { _export as export };
 
 async function _export({
-	cwd = process.cwd(),
-	static: static_files = path.join(cwd, 'static'),
-	build_dir = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__/build'),
+	cwd,
+	static: static_files = 'static',
+	build_dir = '__sapper__/build',
+	export_dir = '__sapper__/export',
 	basepath = '',
-	export_dir = path.join(cwd, '__sapper__/export', basepath),
 	timeout = 5000,
 	oninfo = noop,
 	onfile = noop
 }: Opts = {}) {
+	cwd = path.resolve(cwd);
+	static_files = path.resolve(cwd, static_files);
+	build_dir = path.resolve(cwd, build_dir);
+	export_dir = path.resolve(cwd, export_dir, basepath);
+
 	// Prep output directory
 	sander.rimrafSync(export_dir);
 
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index d5bb2872d..ddd0ce6c7 100755
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -25,21 +25,36 @@ prog.command('dev')
 	.option('--hot', 'Use hot module replacement (requires webpack)', true)
 	.option('--live', 'Reload on changes if not using --hot', true)
 	.option('--bundler', 'Specify a bundler (rollup or webpack)')
+	.option('--cwd', 'Current working directory', '.')
+	.option('--src', 'Source directory', 'src')
+	.option('--routes', 'Routes directory', 'src/routes')
+	.option('--static', 'Static files directory', 'static')
+	.option('--output', 'Sapper output directory', '__sapper__')
+	.option('--build-dir', 'Development build directory', '__sapper__/dev')
 	.action(async (opts: {
 		port: number,
 		open: boolean,
 		'dev-port': number,
 		live: boolean,
 		hot: boolean,
-		bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack'
+		bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack',
+		cwd: string,
+		src: string,
+		routes: string,
+		static: string,
+		output: string,
+		'build-dir': string
 	}) => {
-		const cwd = path.resolve(process.env.SAPPER_BASE || '');
-
 		const { dev } = await import('./api/dev');
 
 		try {
 			const watcher = dev({
-				cwd,
+				cwd: opts.cwd,
+				src: opts.src,
+				routes: opts.routes,
+				static: opts.static,
+				output: opts.output,
+				dest: opts['build-dir'],
 				port: opts.port,
 				'dev-port': opts['dev-port'],
 				live: opts.live,
@@ -125,18 +140,24 @@ prog.command('build [dest]')
 	.option('-p, --port', 'Default of process.env.PORT', '3000')
 	.option('--bundler', 'Specify a bundler (rollup or webpack, blank for auto)')
 	.option('--legacy', 'Create separate legacy build')
+	.option('--cwd', 'Current working directory', '.')
+	.option('--src', 'Source directory', 'src')
+	.option('--routes', 'Routes directory', 'src/routes')
+	.option('--output', 'Sapper output directory', '__sapper__')
 	.example(`build custom-dir -p 4567`)
 	.action(async (dest = '__sapper__/build', opts: {
 		port: string,
 		legacy: boolean,
-		bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack'
+		bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack',
+		cwd: string,
+		src: string,
+		routes: string,
+		output: string
 	}) => {
 		console.log(`> Building...`);
 
-		const cwd = path.resolve(process.env.SAPPER_BASE || '');
-
 		try {
-			await _build(opts.bundler, opts.legacy, cwd, dest);
+			await _build(opts.bundler, opts.legacy, opts.cwd, opts.src, opts.routes, opts.output, dest);
 
 			const launcher = path.resolve(dest, 'index.js');
 
@@ -159,25 +180,33 @@ prog.command('build [dest]')
 prog.command('export [dest]')
 	.describe('Export your app as static files (if possible)')
 	.option('--build', '(Re)build app before exporting', true)
-	.option('--build-dir', 'Specify a custom temporary build directory', '__sapper__/build')
 	.option('--basepath', 'Specify a base path')
 	.option('--timeout', 'Milliseconds to wait for a page (--no-timeout to disable)', 5000)
 	.option('--legacy', 'Create separate legacy build')
 	.option('--bundler', 'Specify a bundler (rollup or webpack, blank for auto)')
+	.option('--cwd', 'Current working directory', '.')
+	.option('--src', 'Source directory', 'src')
+	.option('--routes', 'Routes directory', 'src/routes')
+	.option('--static', 'Static files directory', 'static')
+	.option('--output', 'Sapper output directory', '__sapper__')
+	.option('--build-dir', 'Intermediate build directory', '__sapper__/build')
 	.action(async (dest = '__sapper__/export', opts: {
 		build: boolean,
 		legacy: boolean,
 		bundler?: 'rollup' | 'webpack',
-		'build-dir': string,
 		basepath?: string,
-		timeout: number | false
+		timeout: number | false,
+		cwd: string,
+		src: string,
+		routes: string,
+		static: string,
+		output: string,
+		'build-dir': string,
 	}) => {
-		const cwd = path.resolve(process.env.SAPPER_BASE || '');
-
 		try {
 			if (opts.build) {
 				console.log(`> Building...`);
-				await _build(opts.bundler, opts.legacy, cwd, opts['build-dir']);
+				await _build(opts.bundler, opts.legacy, opts.cwd, opts.src, opts.routes, opts.output, opts['build-dir']);
 				console.error(`\n> Built in ${elapsed(start)}`);
 			}
 
@@ -185,7 +214,8 @@ prog.command('export [dest]')
 			const { default: pb } = await import('pretty-bytes');
 
 			await _export({
-				static: path.resolve(cwd, process.env.SAPPER_STATIC || 'static'),
+				cwd: opts.cwd,
+				static: opts.static,
 				build_dir: opts['build-dir'],
 				export_dir: dest,
 				basepath: opts.basepath,
@@ -221,6 +251,9 @@ async function _build(
 	bundler: 'rollup' | 'webpack',
 	legacy: boolean,
 	cwd: string,
+	src: string,
+	routes: string,
+	output: string,
 	dest: string
 ) {
 	const { build } = await import('./api/build');
@@ -229,9 +262,9 @@ async function _build(
 		bundler,
 		legacy,
 		cwd,
-		src:    path.resolve(cwd, process.env.SAPPER_SRC    || 'src'),
-		routes: path.resolve(cwd, process.env.SAPPER_ROUTES || 'src/routes'),
-		dest:   path.resolve(cwd, dest),
+		src,
+		routes,
+		dest,
 
 		oncompile: event => {
 			let banner = `built ${event.type}`;