diff --git a/src/cmds/openapi/convert.ts b/src/cmds/openapi/convert.ts
index d5d2f14ca..f57de8087 100644
--- a/src/cmds/openapi/convert.ts
+++ b/src/cmds/openapi/convert.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import { validateFilePath } from '../../lib/validatePromptInput.js';
 interface Options {
   out?: string;
   spec?: string;
-  workingDirectory?: string;
 }
 
 export default class OpenAPIConvertCommand extends Command {
@@ -39,20 +38,13 @@ export default class OpenAPIConvertCommand extends Command {
         type: String,
         description: 'Output file path to write converted file to',
       },
-      this.getWorkingDirArg(),
     ];
   }
 
   async run(opts: ZeroAuthCommandOptions<Options>) {
     await super.run(opts);
 
-    const { spec, workingDirectory } = opts;
-
-    if (workingDirectory) {
-      const previousWorkingDirectory = process.cwd();
-      process.chdir(workingDirectory);
-      Command.debug(`switching working directory from ${previousWorkingDirectory} to ${process.cwd()}`);
-    }
+    const { spec } = opts;
 
     const { preparedSpec, specPath, specType } = await prepareOas(spec, 'openapi:convert', { convertToLatest: true });
     const parsedPreparedSpec: OASDocument = JSON.parse(preparedSpec);
diff --git a/src/cmds/openapi/index.ts b/src/cmds/openapi/index.ts
index 8bebe0f6b..a2c2e1c73 100644
--- a/src/cmds/openapi/index.ts
+++ b/src/cmds/openapi/index.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ interface Options {
   update?: boolean;
   useSpecVersion?: boolean;
   version?: string;
-  workingDirectory?: string;
 }
 
 export default class OpenAPICommand extends Command {
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ export default class OpenAPICommand extends Command {
         type: String,
         defaultOption: true,
       },
-      this.getWorkingDirArg(),
       {
         name: 'useSpecVersion',
         type: Boolean,
@@ -90,7 +88,7 @@ export default class OpenAPICommand extends Command {
   async run(opts: AuthenticatedCommandOptions<Options>) {
     await super.run(opts);
 
-    const { dryRun, key, id, spec, create, raw, title, useSpecVersion, version, workingDirectory, update } = opts;
+    const { dryRun, key, id, spec, create, raw, title, useSpecVersion, version, update } = opts;
 
     let selectedVersion = version;
     let isUpdate: boolean;
@@ -111,12 +109,6 @@ export default class OpenAPICommand extends Command {
       );
     }
 
-    if (workingDirectory) {
-      const previousWorkingDirectory = process.cwd();
-      process.chdir(workingDirectory);
-      Command.debug(`switching working directory from ${previousWorkingDirectory} to ${process.cwd()}`);
-    }
-
     if (version && id) {
       Command.warn(
         "We'll be using the version associated with the `--id` option, so the `--version` option will be ignored.",
diff --git a/src/cmds/openapi/inspect.ts b/src/cmds/openapi/inspect.ts
index b2b6b63a2..2cc2f9685 100644
--- a/src/cmds/openapi/inspect.ts
+++ b/src/cmds/openapi/inspect.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import SoftError from '../../lib/softError.js';
 interface Options {
   feature?: string[];
   spec?: string;
-  workingDirectory?: string;
 }
 
 export default class OpenAPIInspectCommand extends Command {
@@ -40,7 +39,6 @@ export default class OpenAPIInspectCommand extends Command {
         type: String,
         defaultOption: true,
       },
-      this.getWorkingDirArg(),
       {
         name: 'feature',
         type: String,
@@ -218,7 +216,7 @@ export default class OpenAPIInspectCommand extends Command {
   async run(opts: ZeroAuthCommandOptions<Options>) {
     await super.run(opts);
 
-    const { spec, workingDirectory, feature: features } = opts;
+    const { spec, feature: features } = opts;
 
     // If we have features we should validate that they're supported.
     if (features?.length) {
@@ -232,12 +230,6 @@ export default class OpenAPIInspectCommand extends Command {
       }
     }
 
-    if (workingDirectory) {
-      const previousWorkingDirectory = process.cwd();
-      process.chdir(workingDirectory);
-      Command.debug(`switching working directory from ${previousWorkingDirectory} to ${process.cwd()}`);
-    }
-
     const { preparedSpec, definitionVersion } = await prepareOas(spec, 'openapi:inspect', { convertToLatest: true });
     this.definitionVersion = definitionVersion.version;
     const parsedPreparedSpec: OASDocument = JSON.parse(preparedSpec);
diff --git a/src/cmds/openapi/reduce.ts b/src/cmds/openapi/reduce.ts
index 7a7a8718c..53b81a780 100644
--- a/src/cmds/openapi/reduce.ts
+++ b/src/cmds/openapi/reduce.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ interface Options {
   spec?: string;
   tag?: string[];
   title?: string;
-  workingDirectory?: string;
 }
 
 export default class OpenAPIReduceCommand extends Command {
@@ -66,20 +65,13 @@ export default class OpenAPIReduceCommand extends Command {
         description: 'Output file path to write reduced file to',
       },
       this.getTitleArg(),
-      this.getWorkingDirArg(),
     ];
   }
 
   async run(opts: ZeroAuthCommandOptions<Options>) {
     await super.run(opts);
 
-    const { spec, title, workingDirectory } = opts;
-
-    if (workingDirectory) {
-      const previousWorkingDirectory = process.cwd();
-      process.chdir(workingDirectory);
-      Command.debug(`switching working directory from ${previousWorkingDirectory} to ${process.cwd()}`);
-    }
+    const { spec, title } = opts;
 
     const { preparedSpec, specPath, specType } = await prepareOas(spec, 'openapi:reduce', { title });
     const parsedPreparedSpec: OASDocument = JSON.parse(preparedSpec);
diff --git a/src/cmds/openapi/validate.ts b/src/cmds/openapi/validate.ts
index 29ce5c76e..698d0d6cd 100644
--- a/src/cmds/openapi/validate.ts
+++ b/src/cmds/openapi/validate.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import prepareOas from '../../lib/prepareOas.js';
 
 export interface Options {
   spec?: string;
-  workingDirectory?: string;
 }
 
 export default class OpenAPIValidateCommand extends Command {
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ export default class OpenAPIValidateCommand extends Command {
         type: String,
         defaultOption: true,
       },
-      this.getWorkingDirArg(),
       this.getGitHubArg(),
     ];
   }
@@ -35,13 +33,7 @@ export default class OpenAPIValidateCommand extends Command {
   async run(opts: ZeroAuthCommandOptions<Options>) {
     await super.run(opts);
 
-    const { spec, workingDirectory } = opts;
-
-    if (workingDirectory) {
-      const previousWorkingDirectory = process.cwd();
-      process.chdir(workingDirectory);
-      Command.debug(`switching working directory from ${previousWorkingDirectory} to ${process.cwd()}`);
-    }
+    const { spec } = opts;
 
     const { specPath, specType } = await prepareOas(spec, 'openapi:validate');
     return Promise.resolve(chalk.green(`${specPath} is a valid ${specType} API definition!`)).then(msg =>
diff --git a/src/lib/baseCommand.ts b/src/lib/baseCommand.ts
index 75bbb6f85..b0bd68b35 100644
--- a/src/lib/baseCommand.ts
+++ b/src/lib/baseCommand.ts
@@ -211,17 +211,6 @@ export default class Command {
     ];
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Used in the `openapi` family of commands where `workingDirectory` is an option.
-   */
-  getWorkingDirArg(): OptionDefinition {
-    return {
-      name: 'workingDirectory',
-      type: String,
-      description: 'Working directory (for usage with relative external references)',
-    };
-  }
-
   static debug(msg: string) {
     debug(msg);
   }