diff --git a/packages/code-analyzer-core/src/config.ts b/packages/code-analyzer-core/src/config.ts
index 057d8cd7..a73834f2 100644
--- a/packages/code-analyzer-core/src/config.ts
+++ b/packages/code-analyzer-core/src/config.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export class CodeAnalyzerConfig {
             custom_engine_plugin_modules: configExtractor.extractArray(FIELDS.CUSTOM_ENGINE_PLUGIN_MODULES,
                 engApi.ValueValidator.validateString,
                 DEFAULT_CONFIG.custom_engine_plugin_modules)!,
-            root_working_folder: !rawConfig.root_working_folder ? os.tmpdir() : validateAbsoluteFolder(rawConfig.root_working_folder, FIELDS.ROOT_WORKING_FOLDER),
+            root_working_folder: configExtractor.extractFolder(FIELDS.ROOT_WORKING_FOLDER, DEFAULT_CONFIG.root_working_folder)!,
             preserve_all_working_folders: configExtractor.extractBoolean(FIELDS.PRESERVE_ALL_WORKING_FOLDERS, DEFAULT_CONFIG.preserve_all_working_folders)!,
             rules: extractRulesValue(configExtractor),
             engines: extractEnginesValue(configExtractor)
diff --git a/packages/code-analyzer-core/test/config.test.ts b/packages/code-analyzer-core/test/config.test.ts
index 5e1f0faa..e39496eb 100644
--- a/packages/code-analyzer-core/test/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/code-analyzer-core/test/config.test.ts
@@ -308,9 +308,18 @@ describe("Tests for creating and accessing configuration values", () => {
             getMessageFromCatalog(SHARED_MESSAGE_CATALOG, 'ConfigValueMustBeOfType','preserve_all_working_folders', 'boolean', 'string'));
     })
 
-    it("When supplied root_working_folder is a valid absolute path, then we use it", () => {
+    it.each([
+        {
+            case: 'absolute',
+            testPath: path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'sampleWorkspace')
+        },
+        {
+            case: 'relative',
+            testPath: path.join('test', 'test-data', 'sampleWorkspace')
+        }
+    ])("When supplied root_working_folder is a valid $case path, then we use it", ({testPath}) => {
         const workingFoldersRootValue: string = path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'sampleWorkspace');
-        const conf: CodeAnalyzerConfig = CodeAnalyzerConfig.fromObject({root_working_folder: workingFoldersRootValue});
+        const conf: CodeAnalyzerConfig = CodeAnalyzerConfig.fromObject({root_working_folder: testPath});
         expect(conf.getRootWorkingFolder()).toEqual(workingFoldersRootValue);
     });
 
@@ -324,11 +333,6 @@ describe("Tests for creating and accessing configuration values", () => {
             getMessageFromCatalog(SHARED_MESSAGE_CATALOG, 'ConfigFolderValueMustNotBeFile', 'root_working_folder', path.resolve('package.json')));
     });
 
-    it("When supplied root_working_folder is a relative folder, then we error", () => {
-        expect(() => CodeAnalyzerConfig.fromObject({root_working_folder: 'test/test-data'})).toThrow(
-            getMessage('ConfigPathValueMustBeAbsolute', 'root_working_folder', 'test/test-data', path.resolve('test', 'test-data')));
-    });
-
     it("When supplied config_root path is a valid absolute path, then we use it", () => {
         const configRootValue: string = path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, 'sampleWorkspace');
         const conf: CodeAnalyzerConfig = CodeAnalyzerConfig.fromObject({config_root: configRootValue});