diff --git a/whipper/command/cd.py b/whipper/command/cd.py
index 68b6d42..87060e2 100644
--- a/whipper/command/cd.py
+++ b/whipper/command/cd.py
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ Log files will log the path to tracks relative to this directory.
                                  "supports this feature. ")
         self.parser.add_argument('-O', '--output-directory',
                                  action="store", dest="output_directory",
-                                 default=os.path.relpath(os.getcwd()),
+                                 default=os.curdir,
                                  help="output directory; will be included "
                                  "in file paths in log")
         self.parser.add_argument('-W', '--working-directory',
diff --git a/whipper/common/program.py b/whipper/common/program.py
index 2ee4146..6f6102b 100644
--- a/whipper/common/program.py
+++ b/whipper/common/program.py
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ class Program:
         # Avoid filtering non str type values, replace None with empty string
         v_fltr = {k: self._filter.filter(v2) if isinstance(v2, str) else ''
                   if v2 is None else v2 for k, v2 in v.items()}
+        if outdir == os.curdir:
+            return template % v_fltr  # Avoid useless './' in file paths
         return os.path.join(outdir, template % v_fltr)
 
     @staticmethod