diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,16 +16,13 @@ endif
 pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistrencommon.la
 
 # libdistrencommon.la:
-libdistrencommon_la_SOURCES = src/common/options.c \
-	src/common/options.h \
+libdistrencommon_la_SOURCES = src/common/asprintf.c src/common/asprintf.h \
+	src/common/execio.c src/common/execio.h \
+	src/common/misc.c src/common/misc.h \
+	src/common/options.c src/common/options.h \
 	src/common/protocol.h \
-	src/common/execio.h \
-	src/common/execio.c \
 	src/common/remoteio.h \
-	src/common/libremoteio.h \
-	src/common/remoteio.c \
-	src/common/asprintf.h \
-	src/common/asprintf.c
+	src/common/remoteio.c src/common/libremoteio.h
 #see http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/autobook/autobook_91.html
 # either increase the revision number or the interface number each release!
 libdistrencommon_la_LDFLAGS = $(AM_LDFLAGS) -version-info 0:0:0
diff --git a/src/common/options.c b/src/common/options.c
--- a/src/common/options.c
+++ b/src/common/options.c
@@ -17,13 +17,12 @@
   along with DistRen.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
-/* The purpose of this file is to... */
-
 #include "options.h"
 
-/* privat-ish files for components we need to config */
-#include "libremoteio.h"
-#include "protocol.h" /*< for DISTREN_SERVERTYPE_* */
+#include "common/asprintf.h"
+#include "common/misc.h"
+#include "common/libremoteio.h"
+#include "common/protocol.h"
 
 #include <confuse.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -51,6 +50,9 @@ int options_init(int argc, char *argv[],
   char *optstring = "hc:";
   char curopt;
 
+  char *workingdir;
+  char *tmp;
+
   configfileprefix = NULL;
   while((curopt = getopt(argc, argv, optstring)) != (char)-1)
     switch(curopt)
@@ -90,31 +92,37 @@ int options_init(int argc, char *argv[],
      strdup is because someday configfile will be customizable via argv[]
   */
   if(!configfileprefix)
-      configfileprefix = strdup(SYSCONFDIR "/distren");
+      configfileprefix = strdup(SYSCONFDIR);
   if(!configfileprefix)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "OOM\n");
       return 1;
     }
-  
-  i = strlen(configfileprefix) + strlen(myname) + strlen(".conf") + 1;
-  configfile = malloc(i);
+
+  workingdir = distren_getcwd();
+  if(!workingdir)
+    fprintf(stderr, "Error finding working directory, I will not be able to return to it after reading the configuration files\n");
+  if(chdir(configfileprefix))
+    fprintf(stderr, "Unable to chdir(\"%s\") where I expected to find config files, expect failure\n", configfileprefix);
+
+  _distren_asprintf(&configfile, "%s%s.conf", PACKAGE, myname);
   if(!configfile)
     {
-      perror("malloc");
+      perror("blah");
+      free(workingdir);
       return 1;
     }
-  strncpy(configfile, configfileprefix, strlen(configfileprefix) + 1);
-  strcat(configfile, myname);
-  strcat(configfile, ".conf");
-  fprintf(stderr, "using configuration file: %s\n", configfile);
 
+  tmp = distren_getcwd();
+  fprintf(stderr, "using configuration file: ``%s'' (CWD=``%s'')\n", configfile, tmp ? tmp : "");
+  free(tmp);
 
   /* initialize structs */
   *allopts = malloc(sizeof(struct options_common));
   if(!*allopts)
     {
       perror("malloc");
+      free(workingdir);
       free(configfile);
       return 1;
     }
@@ -124,6 +132,7 @@ int options_init(int argc, char *argv[],
   if(!(*allopts)->data)
     {
       perror("malloc");
+      free(workingdir);
       free(configfile);
       free(*allopts);
       return 1;
@@ -134,6 +143,7 @@ int options_init(int argc, char *argv[],
   if(!(*allopts)->data)
     {
       perror("malloc");
+      free(workingdir);
       free(configfile);
       free((*allopts)->data);
       free(*allopts);
@@ -208,6 +218,9 @@ int options_init(int argc, char *argv[],
 
   *mycfg = cfg_getsec((*allopts)->data->cfg, myname);
 
+  if(chdir(workingdir))
+    fprintf(stderr, "Unable to return to ``%s'', my old working directory. If you passed relative pathnames on the commandline, those pathnames will likely be disrespected\n", workingdir);
+  free(workingdir);
 
   /*
    * libdistrencommon's config options: