diff --git a/cmd/corestack-goose/main.go b/cmd/corestack-goose/main.go
index 0d693ea..08e9771 100644
--- a/cmd/corestack-goose/main.go
+++ b/cmd/corestack-goose/main.go
@@ -21,16 +21,16 @@ func command() *urfavecli.Command {
 	root := &urfavecli.Command{Name: "corestack-goose", Usage: "Author migrations before deployment"}
 	for _, name := range []string{"create", "fix"} {
 		root.Commands = append(root.Commands, &urfavecli.Command{Name: name,
-			Flags: []urfavecli.Flag{&urfavecli.StringFlag{Name: "dir", Required: true}},
+			Flags: []urfavecli.Flag{&urfavecli.StringFlag{Name: "dir", Value: ".", Usage: "Migration directory (defaults to the current working directory)"}},
 			Action: func(_ context.Context, cmd *urfavecli.Command) error {
 				if name == "create" {
 					if cmd.NArg() != 2 {
-						return fmt.Errorf("usage: create --dir <dir> <name> sql|go")
+						return fmt.Errorf("usage: create [--dir <dir>] <name> sql|go")
 					}
 					return authoring.Create(cmd.String("dir"), cmd.Args().Get(0), cmd.Args().Get(1))
 				}
 				if cmd.NArg() != 0 {
-					return fmt.Errorf("usage: fix --dir <dir>")
+					return fmt.Errorf("usage: fix [--dir <dir>]")
 				}
 				return authoring.Fix(cmd.String("dir"))
 			},
diff --git a/cmd/corestack-goose/main_test.go b/cmd/corestack-goose/main_test.go
index caba350..da31c0c 100644
--- a/cmd/corestack-goose/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/corestack-goose/main_test.go
@@ -41,11 +41,36 @@ func TestGeneratedConsumerAndArtifactBoundary(t *testing.T) {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		osName = "linux"
 	}
-	for _, tc := range []struct{ name, kind string }{{"initial", "sql"}, {"test", "go"}, {"create_test", "go"}, {osName, "go"}} {
-		execute(dir, tool, "create", "--dir", migrations, tc.name, tc.kind)
-		execute(dir, tool, "fix", "--dir", migrations)
+	for i, tc := range []struct{ name, kind string }{{"initial", "sql"}, {"test", "go"}, {"create_test", "go"}, {osName, "go"}} {
+		if i%2 == 0 {
+			execute(migrations, tool, "create", tc.name, tc.kind)
+			execute(migrations, tool, "fix")
+		} else {
+			execute(dir, tool, "create", "--dir", migrations, tc.name, tc.kind)
+			execute(dir, tool, "fix", "--dir", migrations)
+		}
 	}
 	execute(dir, tool, "fix", "--dir", migrations)
+	entries, err := os.ReadDir(migrations)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	wantFiles := []string{"00001_initial.sql", "00002_test_migration.go", "00003_create_test_migration.go", "00004_" + osName + "_migration.go", "register.go"}
+	if len(entries) != len(wantFiles) {
+		t.Fatalf("migration files: %v", entries)
+	}
+	for i, entry := range entries {
+		if entry.Name() != wantFiles[i] {
+			t.Fatalf("migration file: got %s, want %s", entry.Name(), wantFiles[i])
+		}
+	}
+	entries, err = os.ReadDir(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(entries) != 2 || entries[0].Name() != "corestack-goose" || entries[1].Name() != "migrations" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected writes outside migration directory: %v", entries)
+	}
 	source, err := os.ReadFile("testdata/consumer/main.go")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)