diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index bdd18634..96423fb7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -22,12 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }} # Checkout pull request HEAD commit instead of merge commit
 
-      # Because gitlint is a tool that uses git itself under the hood, we remove git tracking from the checked out
-      # code by temporarily renaming the .git directory.
-      # This is to ensure that the tests don't have a dependency on the version control of gitlint itself.
-      - name: Temporarily remove git version control from code
-        run: mv .git ._git
-
       - name: Setup python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v4.2.0
         with:
@@ -85,10 +79,6 @@ jobs:
       #   with:
       #     github-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
-      # Re-add git version control so we can run gitlint on itself.
-      - name: Re-add git version control to code
-        run: mv ._git .git
-
       # Run gitlint. Skip during PR runs, since PR commit messages are transient and usually full of gitlint violations.
       # PRs get squashed and get a proper commit message during merge.
       - name: Gitlint check
diff --git a/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/base.py b/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/base.py
index 710efe2b..7f4afcf2 100644
--- a/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/base.py
+++ b/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/base.py
@@ -30,10 +30,28 @@ class BaseTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     # In case of assert failures, print the full error message
     maxDiff = None
 
+    # Working directory in which tests in this class are executed
+    working_dir = None
+    # Originally working dir when the test was started
+    original_working_dir = None
+
     SAMPLES_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "samples")
     EXPECTED_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "expected")
     GITLINT_USE_SH_LIB = os.environ.get("GITLINT_USE_SH_LIB", "[NOT SET]")
 
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        # Run tests a temporary directory to shield them from any local git config
+        cls.original_working_dir = os.getcwd()
+        cls.working_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        os.chdir(cls.working_dir)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        # Go back to original working dir and remove our temp working dir
+        os.chdir(cls.original_working_dir)
+        shutil.rmtree(cls.working_dir)
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.logcapture = LogCapture()
         self.logcapture.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(LOG_FORMAT))
diff --git a/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/test_options.py b/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/test_options.py
index 7b146e72..486de43a 100644
--- a/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/test_options.py
+++ b/gitlint-core/gitlint/tests/test_options.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def test_path_option(self):
         option = PathOption("tëst-directory", ".", "Tëst Description", type="dir")
         self.assertEqual(option.name, "tëst-directory")
         self.assertEqual(option.description, "Tëst Description")
-        self.assertEqual(option.value, os.getcwd())
+        self.assertEqual(option.value, os.path.realpath("."))
         self.assertEqual(option.type, "dir")
 
         # re-set value