diff --git a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
index 4aff0dfad7..c13a790df5 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ private File genesisFile() {
 
   private Path dataDir() {
     if (isFullInstantiation()) {
-      return standaloneCommands.dataPath;
+      return standaloneCommands.dataPath.toAbsolutePath();
     } else if (isDocker) {
       return Paths.get(DOCKER_DATADIR_LOCATION);
     } else {
diff --git a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
index 7800eb7898..f9fd126e36 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ public void overrideDefaultValuesIfKeyIsPresentInConfigFile() throws IOException
             .setGenesisConfig(encodeJsonGenesis(GENESIS_VALID_JSON))
             .setBootNodes(nodes)
             .build();
-    verify(mockControllerBuilder).homePath(eq(Paths.get("~/pantheondata")));
+    verify(mockControllerBuilder).homePath(eq(Paths.get("~/pantheondata").toAbsolutePath()));
     verify(mockControllerBuilder).ethNetworkConfig(eq(networkConfig));
     verify(mockControllerBuilder).syncWithOttoman(eq(false));
 
@@ -505,10 +505,11 @@ public void dataDirOptionMustBeUsed() throws Exception {
 
     verify(mockControllerBuilder).homePath(pathArgumentCaptor.capture());
     verify(mockControllerBuilder).syncWithOttoman(eq(false));
-    verify(mockControllerBuilder).nodePrivateKeyFile(eq(path.resolve("key").toFile()));
+    verify(mockControllerBuilder)
+        .nodePrivateKeyFile(eq(path.resolve("key").toAbsolutePath().toFile()));
     verify(mockControllerBuilder).build();
 
-    assertThat(pathArgumentCaptor.getValue()).isEqualByComparingTo(path);
+    assertThat(pathArgumentCaptor.getValue()).isEqualByComparingTo(path.toAbsolutePath());
 
     assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();