diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/config/service.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/config/service.rs
index b13c2fa53b..62787b56e1 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/config/service.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/config/service.rs
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ impl ConfigService {
     ) -> Result<ConfigReadResponse, ConfigServiceError> {
         let layers = match params.cwd.as_deref() {
             Some(cwd) => {
-                let cwd = AbsolutePathBuf::try_from(PathBuf::from(cwd)).map_err(|err| {
+                let cwd = AbsolutePathBuf::relative_to_current_dir(cwd).map_err(|err| {
                     ConfigServiceError::io("failed to resolve config cwd to an absolute path", err)
                 })?;
                 crate::config::ConfigBuilder::default()
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/config/service_tests.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/config/service_tests.rs
index ae62326605..d3fe651a7e 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/config/service_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/config/service_tests.rs
@@ -232,6 +232,20 @@ async fn read_includes_origins_and_layers() {
     ));
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn read_accepts_relative_cwd() {
+    let tmp = tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let service = ConfigService::without_managed_config_for_tests(tmp.path().to_path_buf());
+
+    service
+        .read(ConfigReadParams {
+            include_layers: false,
+            cwd: Some(".".to_string()),
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("relative cwd should resolve");
+}
+
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn write_value_succeeds_when_managed_preferences_expand_home_directory_paths() -> Result<()> {