diff --git a/crates/pilotty-cli/src/args.rs b/crates/pilotty-cli/src/args.rs
index 916db5d..26ff834 100644
--- a/crates/pilotty-cli/src/args.rs
+++ b/crates/pilotty-cli/src/args.rs
@@ -132,8 +132,7 @@ pub struct SpawnArgs {
     #[arg(short, long)]
     pub name: Option<String>,
 
-    /// Working directory for the spawned process.
-    /// If omitted, inherits the daemon's current directory.
+    /// Working directory for the spawned process [default: current directory]
     #[arg(long, value_name = "DIR")]
     pub cwd: Option<String>,
 }
diff --git a/crates/pilotty-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/pilotty-cli/src/main.rs
index bd3d365..1814e4a 100644
--- a/crates/pilotty-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/pilotty-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@ fn cli_to_command(cli: &Cli) -> Option<Command> {
         Commands::Spawn(args) => Some(Command::Spawn {
             command: args.command.clone(),
             session_name: args.name.clone(),
-            cwd: args.cwd.clone(),
+            // Default to client's cwd if --cwd not explicitly provided
+            cwd: args.cwd.clone().or_else(|| {
+                std::env::current_dir()
+                    .ok()
+                    .map(|p| p.to_string_lossy().into_owned())
+            }),
         }),
         Commands::Kill(args) => Some(Command::Kill {
             session: args.session.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/pilotty-core/src/protocol.rs b/crates/pilotty-core/src/protocol.rs
index 5f8c02a..0342b28 100644
--- a/crates/pilotty-core/src/protocol.rs
+++ b/crates/pilotty-core/src/protocol.rs
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ pub enum Command {
         session_name: Option<String>,
         /// Working directory for the spawned process.
         ///
-        /// If provided, the command runs in this directory. The path must be
-        /// an existing directory. If not provided, the process inherits the
-        /// daemon's working directory.
+        /// The CLI defaults this to the client's current directory. The path
+        /// must be an existing directory. If not provided by the client, the
+        /// process inherits the daemon's working directory.
         cwd: Option<String>,
     },
     /// Kill a session.