diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 45fab0ee4a6d..272a57fad2a3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 - `[jest-core]` Fix ability to transform dependencies required from globalSetup script [#8143](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8143)
 - `[@jest/reporters]` Fix Cannot read property converageData of null ([#8168](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8168))
 - `[jest-worker]` `JEST_WORKER_ID` starts at 1 ([#8205](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8205))
+- `[jest-config]` Use default cwd even if config contains a cwd property ([#7923](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/7923))
 
 ### Chore & Maintenance
 
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/Defaults.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/Defaults.ts
index 10fed37c6da5..15bde5d04bd2 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/Defaults.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/Defaults.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ const defaultOptions: Config.DefaultOptions = {
   coveragePathIgnorePatterns: [NODE_MODULES_REGEXP],
   coverageReporters: ['json', 'text', 'lcov', 'clover'],
   coverageThreshold: null,
-  cwd: process.cwd(),
   dependencyExtractor: null,
   errorOnDeprecated: false,
   expand: false,
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
index fb25df1599bc..638d8f811572 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ const initialOptions: Config.InitialOptions = {
       statements: 100,
     },
   },
-  // @ts-ignore: Missing from initial options... https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/7923
-  cwd: '/root',
   dependencyExtractor: '<rootDir>/dependencyExtractor.js',
   displayName: 'project-name',
   errorOnDeprecated: false,
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
index 9ccb14ddb43a..e665b1e45886 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
@@ -1512,6 +1512,26 @@ describe('moduleFileExtensions', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('cwd', () => {
+  it('is set to process.cwd', () => {
+    const {options} = normalize({rootDir: '/root/'}, {});
+    expect(options.cwd).toBe(process.cwd());
+  });
+
+  it('is not lost if the config has its own cwd property', () => {
+    console.warn.mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const {options} = normalize(
+      {
+        rootDir: '/root/',
+        cwd: '/tmp/config-sets-cwd-itself',
+      },
+      {},
+    );
+    expect(options.cwd).toBe(process.cwd());
+    expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
 describe('Defaults', () => {
   it('should be accepted by normalize', () => {
     normalize({...Defaults, rootDir: '/root'}, {});
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
index e43bd523af8a..929c3a17b182 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
@@ -486,13 +486,6 @@ export default function normalize(
     ...DEFAULT_CONFIG,
   } as unknown) as AllOptions;
 
-  try {
-    // try to resolve windows short paths, ignoring errors (permission errors, mostly)
-    newOptions.cwd = realpath(newOptions.cwd);
-  } catch (e) {
-    // ignored
-  }
-
   if (options.resolver) {
     newOptions.resolver = resolve(null, {
       filePath: options.resolver,
@@ -827,6 +820,13 @@ export default function normalize(
     return newOptions;
   }, newOptions);
 
+  try {
+    // try to resolve windows short paths, ignoring errors (permission errors, mostly)
+    newOptions.cwd = realpath(process.cwd());
+  } catch (e) {
+    // ignored
+  }
+
   newOptions.nonFlagArgs = argv._;
   newOptions.testPathPattern = buildTestPathPattern(argv);
   newOptions.json = !!argv.json;
diff --git a/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts b/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
index 76e4d06ef343..7cf1b81b76e3 100644
--- a/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ export type DefaultOptions = {
       }
     | null
     | undefined;
-  cwd: Path;
   dependencyExtractor: string | null | undefined;
   errorOnDeprecated: boolean;
   expand: boolean;