diff --git a/hugolib/gitinfo.go b/hugolib/gitinfo.go
index d356fcf075e..bbcdbda181e 100644
--- a/hugolib/gitinfo.go
+++ b/hugolib/gitinfo.go
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func (g *gitInfo) forPage(p *Page) (*gitmap.GitInfo, bool) {
 }
 
 func newGitInfo(cfg config.Provider) (*gitInfo, error) {
-	workingDir := cfg.GetString("workingDir")
+	contentDir := cfg.GetString("contentDir")
 
-	gitRepo, err := gitmap.Map(workingDir, "")
+	gitRepo, err := gitmap.Map(contentDir, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/hugolib/page_test.go b/hugolib/page_test.go
index 9723b1426cf..cc8272492b8 100644
--- a/hugolib/page_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/page_test.go
@@ -896,6 +896,10 @@ func TestPageWithLastmodFromGitInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	wd, err := os.Getwd()
 	assrt.NoError(err)
 	cfg.Set("workingDir", filepath.Join(wd, "testsite"))
+	// Content is actually read from the contentDirs specified in langConfig
+	// above. Set global contentDir to a common parent, as this is
+	// where Hugo will look for GitInfo.
+	cfg.Set("contentDir", filepath.Join(wd, "testsite"))
 
 	h, err := NewHugoSites(deps.DepsCfg{Fs: fs, Cfg: cfg})