diff --git a/cmd/sointu-compile/main.go b/cmd/sointu-compile/main.go
index 4b801fc..77ed1fa 100644
--- a/cmd/sointu-compile/main.go
+++ b/cmd/sointu-compile/main.go
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ func main() {
 			fmt.Print(string(contents))
 			return nil
 		}
-		dir, name := filepath.Split(filename)
+		_, name := filepath.Split(filename)
+		var dir string
 		if *outPath != "" {
 			// check if it's an already existing directory and the user just forgot trailing slash
 			if info, err := os.Stat(*outPath); err == nil && info.IsDir() {
@@ -83,6 +84,13 @@ func main() {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if dir == "" {
+			var err error
+			dir, err = os.Getwd()
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("could not get working directory, specify the output directory explicitly: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
 		name = strings.TrimSuffix(name, filepath.Ext(name)) + extension
 		f := filepath.Join(dir, name)
 		original, err := ioutil.ReadFile(f)
diff --git a/cmd/sointu-play/main.go b/cmd/sointu-play/main.go
index da00820..68d7080 100644
--- a/cmd/sointu-play/main.go
+++ b/cmd/sointu-play/main.go
@@ -56,10 +56,18 @@ func main() {
 				fmt.Print(contents)
 				return nil
 			}
-			dir, name := filepath.Split(filename)
+			_, name := filepath.Split(filename)
+			var dir string
 			if *directory != "" {
 				dir = *directory
 			}
+			if dir == "" {
+				var err error
+				dir, err = os.Getwd()
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("could not get working directory, specify the output directory explicitly: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
 			name = strings.TrimSuffix(name, filepath.Ext(name)) + extension
 			f := filepath.Join(dir, name)
 			if dir != "" {