diff --git a/cmd/cli.go b/cmd/cli.go
index 952cfebf2..74e881287 100644
--- a/cmd/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/cli.go
@@ -88,11 +88,6 @@ func (cli *CLI) Run(args []string) int {
 		cli.formatter.Print(tflint.Issues{}, fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse CLI options; %w", err), map[string][]byte{})
 		return ExitCodeError
 	}
-	dir, filterFiles, err := processArgs(args[1:])
-	if err != nil {
-		cli.formatter.Print(tflint.Issues{}, fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse CLI arguments; %w", err), map[string][]byte{})
-		return ExitCodeError
-	}
 
 	switch {
 	case opts.Version:
@@ -104,51 +99,8 @@ func (cli *CLI) Run(args []string) int {
 	case opts.ActAsBundledPlugin:
 		return cli.actAsBundledPlugin()
 	default:
-		return cli.inspect(opts, dir, filterFiles)
-	}
-}
-
-func processArgs(args []string) (string, []string, error) {
-	if len(args) == 0 {
-		return ".", []string{}, nil
+		return cli.inspect(opts, args)
 	}
-
-	var dir string
-	filterFiles := []string{}
-
-	for _, file := range args {
-		fileInfo, err := os.Stat(file)
-		if err != nil {
-			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: File not found", file)
-			}
-			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: %s", file, err)
-		}
-
-		if fileInfo.IsDir() {
-			dir = file
-			if len(args) != 1 {
-				return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: Multiple arguments are not allowed when passing a directory", file)
-			}
-			return dir, filterFiles, nil
-		}
-
-		if !strings.HasSuffix(file, ".tf") && !strings.HasSuffix(file, ".tf.json") {
-			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: File is not a target of Terraform", file)
-		}
-
-		fileDir := filepath.Dir(file)
-		if dir == "" {
-			dir = fileDir
-			filterFiles = append(filterFiles, file)
-		} else if fileDir == dir {
-			filterFiles = append(filterFiles, file)
-		} else {
-			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: Multiple files in different directories are not allowed", file)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return dir, filterFiles, nil
 }
 
 func unknownOptionHandler(option string, arg flags.SplitArgument, args []string) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/cmd/inspect.go b/cmd/inspect.go
index 2db265cb9..6ea187f3c 100644
--- a/cmd/inspect.go
+++ b/cmd/inspect.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl/v2"
@@ -14,19 +16,10 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 )
 
-func (cli *CLI) inspect(opts Options, targetDir string, filterFiles []string) int {
+func (cli *CLI) inspect(opts Options, args []string) int {
 	// Respect the "--format" flag until a config is loaded
 	cli.formatter.Format = opts.Format
 
-	if opts.Chdir != "" && targetDir != "." {
-		cli.formatter.Print(tflint.Issues{}, fmt.Errorf("Cannot use --chdir and directory argument at the same time"), map[string][]byte{})
-		return ExitCodeError
-	}
-	if opts.Recursive && (targetDir != "." || len(filterFiles) > 0) {
-		cli.formatter.Print(tflint.Issues{}, fmt.Errorf("Cannot use --recursive and arguments at the same time"), map[string][]byte{})
-		return ExitCodeError
-	}
-
 	workingDirs, err := findWorkingDirs(opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		cli.formatter.Print(tflint.Issues{}, fmt.Errorf("Failed to find workspaces; %w", err), map[string][]byte{})
@@ -37,6 +30,23 @@ func (cli *CLI) inspect(opts Options, targetDir string, filterFiles []string) in
 
 	for _, wd := range workingDirs {
 		err := cli.withinChangedDir(wd, func() error {
+			// Parse directory/file arguments after changing the working directory
+			targetDir, filterFiles, err := processArgs(args[1:])
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse CLI arguments; %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if opts.Chdir != "" && targetDir != "." {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Cannot use --chdir and directory argument at the same time")
+			}
+			if opts.Recursive && (targetDir != "." || len(filterFiles) > 0) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Cannot use --recursive and arguments at the same time")
+			}
+
+			// Join with the working directory to create the fullpath
+			for i, file := range filterFiles {
+				filterFiles[i] = filepath.Join(wd, file)
+			}
 			moduleIssues, err := cli.inspectModule(opts, targetDir, filterFiles)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -73,6 +83,49 @@ func (cli *CLI) inspect(opts Options, targetDir string, filterFiles []string) in
 	return ExitCodeOK
 }
 
+func processArgs(args []string) (string, []string, error) {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		return ".", []string{}, nil
+	}
+
+	var dir string
+	filterFiles := []string{}
+
+	for _, file := range args {
+		fileInfo, err := os.Stat(file)
+		if err != nil {
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: File not found", file)
+			}
+			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: %s", file, err)
+		}
+
+		if fileInfo.IsDir() {
+			dir = file
+			if len(args) != 1 {
+				return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: Multiple arguments are not allowed when passing a directory", file)
+			}
+			return dir, filterFiles, nil
+		}
+
+		if !strings.HasSuffix(file, ".tf") && !strings.HasSuffix(file, ".tf.json") {
+			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: File is not a target of Terraform", file)
+		}
+
+		fileDir := filepath.Dir(file)
+		if dir == "" {
+			dir = fileDir
+			filterFiles = append(filterFiles, file)
+		} else if fileDir == dir {
+			filterFiles = append(filterFiles, file)
+		} else {
+			return dir, filterFiles, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load `%s`: Multiple files in different directories are not allowed", file)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return dir, filterFiles, nil
+}
+
 func (cli *CLI) inspectModule(opts Options, dir string, filterFiles []string) (tflint.Issues, error) {
 	issues := tflint.Issues{}
 	var err error
diff --git a/integrationtest/cli/chdir/main.tf b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b73b98751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "main" {
+  instance_type = "t2.micro"
+}
diff --git a/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/.tflint.hcl b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/.tflint.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e19f589dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/.tflint.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+plugin "testing" {
+  enabled = true
+}
diff --git a/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/main.tf b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..95a956c68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "main" {
+  instance_type = "m5.2xlarge"
+}
diff --git a/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/nested/main.tf b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/nested/main.tf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..832d5642c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integrationtest/cli/chdir/subdir/nested/main.tf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+resource "aws_instance" "main" {
+  instance_type = "t2.nano"
+}
diff --git a/integrationtest/cli/cli_test.go b/integrationtest/cli/cli_test.go
index 87ea8f8f0..8553de764 100644
--- a/integrationtest/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/integrationtest/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -276,22 +276,43 @@ func TestIntegration(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "--chdir",
-			command: "./tflint --chdir subdir",
-			dir:     "multiple_files",
+			command: "./tflint --chdir=subdir",
+			dir:     "chdir",
+			status:  cmd.ExitCodeIssuesFound,
+			stdout:  fmt.Sprintf("%s (aws_instance_example_type)", color.New(color.Bold).Sprint("instance type is m5.2xlarge")),
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "--chdir and file argument",
+			command: "./tflint --chdir=subdir main.tf",
+			dir:     "chdir",
 			status:  cmd.ExitCodeIssuesFound,
 			stdout:  fmt.Sprintf("%s (aws_instance_example_type)", color.New(color.Bold).Sprint("instance type is m5.2xlarge")),
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "--chdir and directory argument",
-			command: "./tflint --chdir subdir ../",
-			dir:     "multiple_files",
+			command: "./tflint --chdir=subdir ../",
+			dir:     "chdir",
 			status:  cmd.ExitCodeError,
 			stderr:  "Cannot use --chdir and directory argument at the same time",
 		},
 		{
-			name:    "--recursive and arguments",
+			name:    "--chdir and file under the directory argument",
+			command: fmt.Sprintf("./tflint --chdir=subdir %s", filepath.Join("nested", "main.tf")),
+			dir:     "chdir",
+			status:  cmd.ExitCodeError,
+			stderr:  "Cannot use --chdir and directory argument at the same time",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "--recursive and file argument",
+			command: "./tflint --recursive main.tf",
+			dir:     "chdir",
+			status:  cmd.ExitCodeError,
+			stderr:  "Cannot use --recursive and arguments at the same time",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "--recursive and directory argument",
 			command: "./tflint --recursive subdir",
-			dir:     "multiple_files",
+			dir:     "chdir",
 			status:  cmd.ExitCodeError,
 			stderr:  "Cannot use --recursive and arguments at the same time",
 		},