diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a7924cdf6..e73deab59 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Please refer to the [release page](https://github.com/actions/checkout/releases/
     # Default: true
     persist-credentials: ''
 
-    # Relative path under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE to place the repository
+    # Relative path under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/working-directory to place the repository
     path: ''
 
     # Whether to execute `git clean -ffdx && git reset --hard HEAD` before fetching
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ Please refer to the [release page](https://github.com/actions/checkout/releases/
     # running from unless specified. Example URLs are https://github.com or
     # https://my-ghes-server.example.com
     github-server-url: ''
+
+    # Provide the working directory for the git commands to execute into, defaults to
+    # $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
+    working-directory: ''
 ```
 <!-- end usage -->
 
diff --git a/__test__/git-auth-helper.test.ts b/__test__/git-auth-helper.test.ts
index 7633704cc..c5a72d797 100644
--- a/__test__/git-auth-helper.test.ts
+++ b/__test__/git-auth-helper.test.ts
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ async function setup(testName: string): Promise<void> {
     sshUser: '',
     workflowOrganizationId: 123456,
     setSafeDirectory: true,
-    githubServerUrl: githubServerUrl
+    githubServerUrl: githubServerUrl,
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/__test__/input-helper.test.ts b/__test__/input-helper.test.ts
index 9514cb42d..5c79f7a41 100644
--- a/__test__/input-helper.test.ts
+++ b/__test__/input-helper.test.ts
@@ -144,4 +144,25 @@ describe('input-helper tests', () => {
     const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
     expect(settings.workflowOrganizationId).toBe(123456)
   })
+
+  it('sets a different working directory', async() => {
+    inputs['working-directory'] = '/home/user/test'
+    inputs['path'] = 'path/to/repo'
+    const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
+    expect(settings.repositoryPath).toBe(path.resolve('/home/user/test/path/to/repo'))
+  })
+
+  it('sets a working directory on root', async() => {
+    inputs['working-directory'] = '/'
+    inputs['path'] = 'path/to/repo'
+    const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
+    expect(settings.repositoryPath).toBe(path.resolve('/path/to/repo'))
+  })
+
+  it('sets a working directory on root and repository path is set to empty', async() => {
+    inputs['working-directory'] = '/'
+    inputs['path'] = ''
+    const settings: IGitSourceSettings = await inputHelper.getInputs()
+    expect(settings.repositoryPath).toBe(path.resolve('/'))
+  })
 })
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 75d5ae2d8..5639bf3c8 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Whether to configure the token or SSH key with the local git config'
     default: true
   path:
-    description: 'Relative path under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE to place the repository'
+    description: 'Relative path under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/working-directory to place the repository'
   clean:
     description: 'Whether to execute `git clean -ffdx && git reset --hard HEAD` before fetching'
     default: true
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ inputs:
   github-server-url:
     description: The base URL for the GitHub instance that you are trying to clone from, will use environment defaults to fetch from the same instance that the workflow is running from unless specified. Example URLs are https://github.com or https://my-ghes-server.example.com
     required: false
+  working-directory:
+    description: Provide the working directory for the git commands to execute into, defaults to $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
+    required: false
 runs:
   using: node20
   main: dist/index.js
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index c39596b5b..2bb3eaaac 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -1716,14 +1716,14 @@ const workflowContextHelper = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(9568));
 function getInputs() {
     return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
         const result = {};
-        // GitHub workspace
-        let githubWorkspacePath = process.env['GITHUB_WORKSPACE'];
-        if (!githubWorkspacePath) {
-            throw new Error('GITHUB_WORKSPACE not defined');
-        }
-        githubWorkspacePath = path.resolve(githubWorkspacePath);
-        core.debug(`GITHUB_WORKSPACE = '${githubWorkspacePath}'`);
-        fsHelper.directoryExistsSync(githubWorkspacePath, true);
+        // Working directory
+        let workingDirectory = core.getInput('workingDirectory') || process.env['GITHUB_WORKSPACE'];
+        if (!workingDirectory) {
+            throw new Error('working dir not defined');
+        }
+        workingDirectory = path.resolve(workingDirectory);
+        core.debug(`working directory = '${workingDirectory}'`);
+        fsHelper.directoryExistsSync(workingDirectory, true);
         // Qualified repository
         const qualifiedRepository = core.getInput('repository') ||
             `${github.context.repo.owner}/${github.context.repo.repo}`;
@@ -1738,9 +1738,9 @@ function getInputs() {
         result.repositoryName = splitRepository[1];
         // Repository path
         result.repositoryPath = core.getInput('path') || '.';
-        result.repositoryPath = path.resolve(githubWorkspacePath, result.repositoryPath);
-        if (!(result.repositoryPath + path.sep).startsWith(githubWorkspacePath + path.sep)) {
-            throw new Error(`Repository path '${result.repositoryPath}' is not under '${githubWorkspacePath}'`);
+        result.repositoryPath = path.resolve(workingDirectory, result.repositoryPath);
+        if (!(result.repositoryPath + path.sep).startsWith(workingDirectory + path.sep)) {
+            throw new Error(`Repository path '${result.repositoryPath}' is not under '${workingDirectory}'`);
         }
         // Workflow repository?
         const isWorkflowRepository = qualifiedRepository.toUpperCase() ===
diff --git a/src/input-helper.ts b/src/input-helper.ts
index 059232f5c..2e1d2d4af 100644
--- a/src/input-helper.ts
+++ b/src/input-helper.ts
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ import {IGitSourceSettings} from './git-source-settings'
 export async function getInputs(): Promise<IGitSourceSettings> {
   const result = {} as unknown as IGitSourceSettings
 
-  // GitHub workspace
-  let githubWorkspacePath = process.env['GITHUB_WORKSPACE']
-  if (!githubWorkspacePath) {
-    throw new Error('GITHUB_WORKSPACE not defined')
+  // Working directory
+  let workingDirectory = core.getInput('working-directory') || process.env['GITHUB_WORKSPACE']
+  if (!workingDirectory) {
+    throw new Error('working dir not defined')
   }
-  githubWorkspacePath = path.resolve(githubWorkspacePath)
-  core.debug(`GITHUB_WORKSPACE = '${githubWorkspacePath}'`)
-  fsHelper.directoryExistsSync(githubWorkspacePath, true)
+  workingDirectory = path.resolve(workingDirectory)
+  core.debug(`working directory = '${workingDirectory}'`)
+  fsHelper.directoryExistsSync(workingDirectory, true)
 
   // Qualified repository
   const qualifiedRepository =
@@ -38,16 +38,16 @@ export async function getInputs(): Promise<IGitSourceSettings> {
   // Repository path
   result.repositoryPath = core.getInput('path') || '.'
   result.repositoryPath = path.resolve(
-    githubWorkspacePath,
+    workingDirectory,
     result.repositoryPath
   )
   if (
     !(result.repositoryPath + path.sep).startsWith(
-      githubWorkspacePath + path.sep
+      workingDirectory
     )
   ) {
     throw new Error(
-      `Repository path '${result.repositoryPath}' is not under '${githubWorkspacePath}'`
+      `Repository path '${result.repositoryPath + path.sep}' is not under '${workingDirectory}'`
     )
   }