diff --git a/app/start.ps1 b/app/start.ps1
index 00e4ce379c..294f3608ac 100644
--- a/app/start.ps1
+++ b/app/start.ps1
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# set the parent of the script as the current location.
+Set-Location $PSScriptRoot
+
 Write-Host ""
 Write-Host "Loading azd .env file from current environment"
 Write-Host ""
diff --git a/app/start.sh b/app/start.sh
index d703654e69..68fbec173c 100755
--- a/app/start.sh
+++ b/app/start.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+# cd into the parent directory of the script, 
+# so that the script generates virtual environments always in the same path.
+cd "${0%/*}" || exit 1
+
 cd ../
 echo 'Creating python virtual environment ".venv"'
 python3 -m venv .venv
@@ -9,9 +13,10 @@ echo "Restoring backend python packages"
 echo ""
 
 ./.venv/bin/python -m pip install -r app/backend/requirements.txt
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+out=$?
+if [ $out -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "Failed to restore backend python packages"
-    exit $?
+    exit $out
 fi
 
 echo ""
@@ -20,9 +25,10 @@ echo ""
 
 cd app/frontend
 npm install
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+out=$?
+if [ $out -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "Failed to restore frontend npm packages"
-    exit $?
+    exit $out
 fi
 
 echo ""
@@ -30,9 +36,10 @@ echo "Building frontend"
 echo ""
 
 npm run build
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+out=$?
+if [ $out -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "Failed to build frontend"
-    exit $?
+    exit $out
 fi
 
 echo ""
@@ -44,7 +51,8 @@ cd ../backend
 port=50505
 host=localhost
 ../../.venv/bin/python -m quart --app main:app run --port "$port" --host "$host" --reload
-if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+out=$?
+if [ $out -ne 0 ]; then
     echo "Failed to start backend"
-    exit $?
+    exit $out
 fi