diff --git a/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystem.java
index c64062e551c..f1763ce3cae 100644
--- a/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystem.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2013 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ import static sun.nio.fs.AixNativeDispatcher.*;
 
 class AixFileSystem extends UnixFileSystem {
 
-    AixFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider) {
-        super(provider);
+    AixFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider, String dir) {
+        super(provider, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystemProvider.java
index 41500b6bb5b..c0d17dd44b5 100644
--- a/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/aix/classes/sun/nio/fs/AixFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2013 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ class AixFileSystemProvider extends UnixFileSystemProvider {
     }
 
     @Override
-    AixFileSystem newFileSystem() {
-        return new AixFileSystem(this);
+    AixFileSystem newFileSystem(String dir) {
+        return new AixFileSystem(this, dir);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystem.java
index 5d492f98967..44e957f54fb 100644
--- a/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystem.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ import static sun.nio.fs.UnixConstants.*;
  */
 
 class LinuxFileSystem extends UnixFileSystem {
-    LinuxFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider) {
-        super(provider);
+    LinuxFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider, String dir) {
+        super(provider, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystemProvider.java
index 2d1ca8067cd..a1c2aed4bd2 100644
--- a/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/linux/classes/sun/nio/fs/LinuxFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ class LinuxFileSystemProvider extends UnixFileSystemProvider {
     }
 
     @Override
-    LinuxFileSystem newFileSystem() {
-        return new LinuxFileSystem(this);
+    LinuxFileSystem newFileSystem(String dir) {
+        return new LinuxFileSystem(this, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystem.java
index fa3040615f2..3b99a456288 100644
--- a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystem.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ import static sun.nio.fs.UnixNativeDispatcher.unlink;
 
 class BsdFileSystem extends UnixFileSystem {
 
-    BsdFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider) {
-        super(provider);
+    BsdFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider, String dir) {
+        super(provider, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystemProvider.java
index 4c73211418b..fe997a38d96 100644
--- a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/BsdFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ class BsdFileSystemProvider extends UnixFileSystemProvider {
     }
 
     @Override
-    BsdFileSystem newFileSystem() {
-        return new BsdFileSystem(this);
+    BsdFileSystem newFileSystem(String dir) {
+        return new BsdFileSystem(this, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystem.java
index d6deb82bf2b..9303c713bf2 100644
--- a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystem.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ class MacOSXFileSystem extends BsdFileSystem {
             && ("".equals(value) || Boolean.parseBoolean(value));
     }
 
-    MacOSXFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider) {
-        super(provider);
+    MacOSXFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider, String dir) {
+        super(provider, dir);
     }
 
     boolean isCaseInsensitiveAndPreserving() {
diff --git a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystemProvider.java
index 010c3129a60..256a9b5e613 100644
--- a/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/macosx/classes/sun/nio/fs/MacOSXFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ class MacOSXFileSystemProvider extends BsdFileSystemProvider {
     }
 
     @Override
-    MacOSXFileSystem newFileSystem() {
-        return new MacOSXFileSystem(this);
+    MacOSXFileSystem newFileSystem(String dir) {
+        return new MacOSXFileSystem(this, dir);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystem.java
index cae69438935..7cab6d31690 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystem.java
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import jdk.internal.misc.Blocker;
-import jdk.internal.util.StaticProperty;
 import sun.nio.ch.DirectBuffer;
 import sun.nio.ch.IOStatus;
 import sun.security.action.GetPropertyAction;
@@ -74,17 +73,39 @@ abstract class UnixFileSystem
 
     private final UnixFileSystemProvider provider;
     private final byte[] defaultDirectory;
+    private final boolean needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory;
     private final UnixPath rootDirectory;
 
     // package-private
-    UnixFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider) {
-        String dir = StaticProperty.userDir();
+    UnixFileSystem(UnixFileSystemProvider provider, String dir) {
         this.provider = provider;
         this.defaultDirectory = Util.toBytes(UnixPath.normalizeAndCheck(dir));
         if (this.defaultDirectory[0] != '/') {
             throw new RuntimeException("default directory must be absolute");
         }
 
+        // if process-wide chdir is allowed or default directory is not the
+        // process working directory then paths must be resolved against the
+        // default directory.
+        String propValue = GetPropertyAction
+                .privilegedGetProperty("sun.nio.fs.chdirAllowed", "false");
+        boolean chdirAllowed = propValue.isEmpty() ? true : Boolean.parseBoolean(propValue);
+        if (chdirAllowed) {
+            this.needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory = true;
+        } else {
+            byte[] cwd = UnixNativeDispatcher.getcwd();
+            boolean defaultIsCwd = (cwd.length == defaultDirectory.length);
+            if (defaultIsCwd) {
+                for (int i=0; i<cwd.length; i++) {
+                    if (cwd[i] != defaultDirectory[i]) {
+                        defaultIsCwd = false;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            this.needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory = !defaultIsCwd;
+        }
+
         // the root directory
         this.rootDirectory = new UnixPath(this, "/");
     }
@@ -94,6 +115,10 @@ abstract class UnixFileSystem
         return defaultDirectory;
     }
 
+    boolean needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory() {
+        return needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory;
+    }
+
     boolean isCaseInsensitiveAndPreserving() {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystemProvider.java
index a3d9ee15bb7..9f5df28fcba 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public abstract class UnixFileSystemProvider
     private final UnixFileSystem theFileSystem;
 
     public UnixFileSystemProvider() {
-        theFileSystem = newFileSystem();
+        theFileSystem = newFileSystem(StaticProperty.userDir());
     }
 
     UnixFileSystem theFileSystem() {
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ public abstract class UnixFileSystemProvider
     }
 
     /**
-     * Constructs a new file system.
+     * Constructs a new file system using the given default directory.
      */
-    abstract UnixFileSystem newFileSystem();
+    abstract UnixFileSystem newFileSystem(String dir);
 
     @Override
     public final String getScheme() {
diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.java b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.java
index 79530b205c4..b3bc08e76aa 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.java
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ class UnixNativeDispatcher {
         return buffer;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * char *getcwd(char *buf, size_t size);
+     */
+    static native byte[] getcwd();
+
     /**
      * int dup(int filedes)
      */
diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixPath.java b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixPath.java
index eb4c16dc977..a614f5025f2 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixPath.java
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/classes/sun/nio/fs/UnixPath.java
@@ -138,12 +138,18 @@ class UnixPath implements Path {
 
     // use this path when making system/library calls
     byte[] getByteArrayForSysCalls() {
-        if (!isEmpty()) {
-            return path;
+        // resolve against default directory if required (chdir allowed or
+        // file system default directory is not working directory)
+        if (getFileSystem().needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory()) {
+            return resolve(getFileSystem().defaultDirectory(), path);
         } else {
-            // empty path case will access current directory
-            byte[] here = { '.' };
-            return here;
+            if (!isEmpty()) {
+                return path;
+            } else {
+                // empty path case will access current directory
+                byte[] here = { '.' };
+                return here;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -154,7 +160,11 @@ class UnixPath implements Path {
 
     // use this path for permission checks
     String getPathForPermissionCheck() {
-        return toString();
+        if (getFileSystem().needToResolveAgainstDefaultDirectory()) {
+            return Util.toString(getByteArrayForSysCalls());
+        } else {
+            return toString();
+        }
     }
 
     // Checks that the given file is a UnixPath
diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/native/libnio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.c b/src/java.base/unix/native/libnio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.c
index 169f0447549..9371bc00181 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/native/libnio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.c
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/native/libnio/fs/UnixNativeDispatcher.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -324,6 +324,25 @@ Java_sun_nio_fs_UnixNativeDispatcher_init(JNIEnv* env, jclass this)
     return capabilities;
 }
 
+JNIEXPORT jbyteArray JNICALL
+Java_sun_nio_fs_UnixNativeDispatcher_getcwd(JNIEnv* env, jclass this) {
+    jbyteArray result = NULL;
+    char buf[PATH_MAX+1];
+
+    /* EINTR not listed as a possible error */
+    char* cwd = getcwd(buf, sizeof(buf));
+    if (cwd == NULL) {
+        throwUnixException(env, errno);
+    } else {
+        jsize len = (jsize)strlen(buf);
+        result = (*env)->NewByteArray(env, len);
+        if (result != NULL) {
+            (*env)->SetByteArrayRegion(env, result, 0, len, (jbyte*)buf);
+        }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 JNIEXPORT jbyteArray
 Java_sun_nio_fs_UnixNativeDispatcher_strerror(JNIEnv* env, jclass this, jint error)
 {
diff --git a/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystem.java b/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystem.java
index 545bcd60645..f2cded1b372 100644
--- a/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystem.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import java.nio.file.spi.*;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import jdk.internal.util.StaticProperty;
 
 class WindowsFileSystem
     extends FileSystem
@@ -43,11 +42,12 @@ class WindowsFileSystem
     private final String defaultRoot;
 
     // package-private
-    WindowsFileSystem(WindowsFileSystemProvider provider) {
+    WindowsFileSystem(WindowsFileSystemProvider provider,
+                      String dir)
+    {
         this.provider = provider;
 
         // parse default directory and check it is absolute
-        String dir = StaticProperty.userDir();
         WindowsPathParser.Result result = WindowsPathParser.parse(dir);
 
         if ((result.type() != WindowsPathType.ABSOLUTE) &&
diff --git a/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystemProvider.java b/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystemProvider.java
index 1d164132920..f27ea450606 100644
--- a/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystemProvider.java
+++ b/src/java.base/windows/classes/sun/nio/fs/WindowsFileSystemProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.*;
+import jdk.internal.util.StaticProperty;
 import sun.nio.ch.ThreadPool;
 import sun.security.util.SecurityConstants;
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class WindowsFileSystemProvider
     private final WindowsFileSystem theFileSystem;
 
     public WindowsFileSystemProvider() {
-        theFileSystem = new WindowsFileSystem(this);
+        theFileSystem = new WindowsFileSystem(this, StaticProperty.userDir());
     }
 
     WindowsFileSystem theFileSystem() {