diff --git a/common/src/common/config.py b/common/src/common/config.py
index 73309ef..8dbb5cf 100644
--- a/common/src/common/config.py
+++ b/common/src/common/config.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
 
     # ── local FS roots ────────────────────────────────────────────
     workspace_root: str = Field(
-        default="/workspace/workspaces",
+        default="/app/workspaces",
         description=(
             "Schedule subprocess cwd; staging area for notebook_runner. "
             "Backend no longer writes here — workspace files live in "
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 6f46f1e..9ab739f 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ services:
     environment:
       DATABASE_URL: ${DATABASE_URL:?DATABASE_URL is required}
       SERVICE_NAME: runtime-manager
-      WORKSPACES_ROOT: /workspace/workspaces
+      WORKSPACES_ROOT: /app/workspaces
       PUBLIC_BASE_URL: http://runtime
       REMOTE_BUCKET: rustfs:${RUSTFS_WORKSPACE_BUCKET:-workspaces}
       RCLONE_CONFIG_RUSTFS_TYPE: s3
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ services:
     healthcheck:
       test:
         - CMD-SHELL
-        - grep -q ' /workspace/workspaces .* - fuse.rclone ' /proc/self/mountinfo && curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/v1/health >/dev/null
+        - grep -q ' /app/workspaces .* - fuse.rclone ' /proc/self/mountinfo && curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/v1/health >/dev/null
       interval: 10s
       timeout: 5s
       retries: 18
diff --git a/runtime/src/runtime/mount.py b/runtime/src/runtime/mount.py
index 0cc1e12..97cfbff 100644
--- a/runtime/src/runtime/mount.py
+++ b/runtime/src/runtime/mount.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def start_rclone_mount() -> None:
             "rclone",
             "mount",
             REMOTE_BUCKET,
-            str(WORKSPACES_ROOT),
+            WORKSPACES_ROOT.as_posix(),
             "--allow-other",
             "--vfs-cache-mode", "full",
             "--vfs-cache-max-size", "20G",
diff --git a/runtime/src/runtime/process.py b/runtime/src/runtime/process.py
index 04198e4..3337c3d 100644
--- a/runtime/src/runtime/process.py
+++ b/runtime/src/runtime/process.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ from common.utils import get_free_port, start_process
 from runtime.mount import WORKSPACES_ROOT
 
 PUBLIC_BASE_URL = settings.public_base_url
-JUPYTER_PROCESS_CWD = Path("/app")
 
 
 class JupyterProcessRecord(TypedDict):
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ async def start_workspace(ws_id: str) -> dict:
             "--allow-root",
             f"--ServerApp.token={token}",
             f"--ServerApp.base_url={base_path}",
-            f"--ServerApp.root_dir={workspace_path}",
+            "--notebook-dir=.",
             "--ServerApp.terminals_enabled=False",
             "--NotebookApp.terminals_enabled=False",
             "--ServerApp.allow_origin=*",
@@ -118,11 +117,7 @@ async def start_workspace(ws_id: str) -> dict:
         ]
 
         try:
-            # Keep the server process cwd off the rclone/FUSE mount. Remote
-            # S3 directory refreshes can replace a virtual directory inode,
-            # leaving a long-lived cwd marked "(deleted)" and making
-            # os.getcwd() fail while Jupyter starts kernels or nbconvert.
-            process, log_file = start_process(cmd, JUPYTER_PROCESS_CWD)
+            process, log_file = start_process(cmd, workspace_path)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to start Jupyter for {ws_id}: {e}")
             raise HTTPException(