diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
index 7e954b3..1874d86 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
@@ -524,6 +524,10 @@ function M.normalize_opts(opts, defaults)
 
   if opts.cwd and #opts.cwd > 0 then
     opts.cwd = vim.fn.expand(opts.cwd)
+    if not vim.loop.fs_stat(opts.cwd) then
+      utils.warn(("Unable to access '%s', removing 'cwd' option."):format(opts.cwd))
+      opts.cwd = nil
+    end
   end
 
   local executable = function(binary, fncerr,  strerr)
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
index 53d9073..e9f91c7 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ M.fzf = function(opts, contents)
   fzf_win:attach_previewer(previewer)
   fzf_win:create()
   local selected = fzf.raw_fzf(contents, M.build_fzf_cli(opts),
-    { fzf_binary = opts.fzf_bin })
+    { fzf_binary = opts.fzf_bin, fzf_cwd = opts.cwd })
   fzf_win:check_exit_status()
   if fzf_win:autoclose() == nil or fzf_win:autoclose() then
     fzf_win:close()
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/grep.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/grep.lua
index 8f7a7c9..d365771 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/grep.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/grep.lua
@@ -213,10 +213,7 @@ M.live_grep_native = function(opts)
     -- we need to escape them in the initial query
     opts.fzf_opts['--cmd-query'] = vim.fn.shellescape(utils.sk_escape(query))
     opts._fzf_cli_args = string.format("-i -c %s",
-          vim.fn.shellescape(
-            ("(cd %s && %s)"):format(
-              vim.fn.shellescape(opts.cwd or '.'),
-              reload_command)))
+          vim.fn.shellescape(reload_command))
   else
     opts.fzf_fn = {}
     if opts.exec_empty_query or (opts.search and #opts.search > 0) then
@@ -231,9 +228,7 @@ M.live_grep_native = function(opts)
     opts.fzf_opts['--query'] = vim.fn.shellescape(query)
     opts._fzf_cli_args = string.format('--bind=%s',
         vim.fn.shellescape(("change:reload:%s"):format(
-          ("(cd %s && %s || true)"):format(
-            vim.fn.shellescape(opts.cwd or '.'),
-            reload_command))))
+          ("%s || true"):format(reload_command))))
   end
 
   -- we cannot parse any entries as they're not getting called