diff --git a/src/__tests__/integration/group-chat-integration.test.ts b/src/__tests__/integration/group-chat-integration.test.ts
index 2362744936..42ac1aabf5 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/integration/group-chat-integration.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/integration/group-chat-integration.test.ts
@@ -123,13 +123,15 @@ const AGENTS: AgentConfig[] = [
 		 *   Codex does NOT support --input-format stream-json (supportsStreamJsonInput: false)
 		 */
 		buildArgs: (prompt: string, options?: { images?: string[] }) => {
+			// `-C` precedes `exec` because Codex treats it as a root-level global
+			// flag — placing it after the subcommand makes it silently ignored (#959).
 			const args = [
+				'-C',
+				TEST_CWD,
 				'exec',
 				'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 				'--skip-git-repo-check',
 				'--json',
-				'-C',
-				TEST_CWD,
 			];
 
 			// IMPORTANT: This mirrors process-manager.ts logic
diff --git a/src/__tests__/integration/provider-integration.test.ts b/src/__tests__/integration/provider-integration.test.ts
index 290b18d293..420e5addcf 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/integration/provider-integration.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/integration/provider-integration.test.ts
@@ -372,20 +372,21 @@ const PROVIDERS: ProviderConfig[] = [
 		 */
 		buildInitialArgs: (prompt: string, options?: { images?: string[] }) => {
 			// Codex arg order from process.ts IPC handler:
-			// 1. batchModePrefix: ['exec']
-			// 2. base args: [] (empty for Codex)
-			// 3. batchModeArgs: ['--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox', '--skip-git-repo-check']
-			// 4. jsonOutputArgs: ['--json']
-			// 5. workingDirArgs: ['-C', dir]
+			// 1. workingDirArgs: ['-C', dir] (must precede the `exec` subcommand
+			//    because Codex treats `-C` as a root-level global flag — see #959)
+			// 2. batchModePrefix: ['exec']
+			// 3. base args: [] (empty for Codex)
+			// 4. batchModeArgs: ['--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox', '--skip-git-repo-check']
+			// 5. jsonOutputArgs: ['--json']
 			// 6. prompt via '--' separator (process-manager.ts)
 
 			const args = [
+				'-C',
+				TEST_CWD,
 				'exec',
 				'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 				'--skip-git-repo-check',
 				'--json',
-				'-C',
-				TEST_CWD,
 			];
 
 			// IMPORTANT: This mirrors process-manager.ts logic
@@ -404,12 +405,12 @@ const PROVIDERS: ProviderConfig[] = [
 			return [...args, '--', prompt];
 		},
 		buildResumeArgs: (sessionId: string, prompt: string) => [
+			'-C',
+			TEST_CWD,
 			'exec',
 			'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 			'--skip-git-repo-check',
 			'--json',
-			'-C',
-			TEST_CWD,
 			'resume',
 			sessionId,
 			'--',
@@ -420,20 +421,20 @@ const PROVIDERS: ProviderConfig[] = [
 		 * Codex uses file-based image args (-i) - images decoded on remote via script.
 		 */
 		buildSshArgs: () => [
+			'-C',
+			TEST_CWD,
 			'exec',
 			'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 			'--skip-git-repo-check',
 			'--json',
-			'-C',
-			TEST_CWD,
 		],
 		buildSshResumeArgs: (sessionId: string) => [
+			'-C',
+			TEST_CWD,
 			'exec',
 			'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 			'--skip-git-repo-check',
 			'--json',
-			'-C',
-			TEST_CWD,
 			'resume',
 			sessionId,
 		],
@@ -487,12 +488,12 @@ const PROVIDERS: ProviderConfig[] = [
 		 * Mirrors agent-detector.ts: imageArgs: (imagePath) => ['-i', imagePath]
 		 */
 		buildImageArgs: (prompt: string, imagePath: string) => [
+			'-C',
+			TEST_CWD,
 			'exec',
 			'--dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox',
 			'--skip-git-repo-check',
 			'--json',
-			'-C',
-			TEST_CWD,
 			'-i',
 			imagePath,
 			'--',
diff --git a/src/__tests__/main/utils/agent-args.test.ts b/src/__tests__/main/utils/agent-args.test.ts
index a1593e57fe..06a9c3b525 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/main/utils/agent-args.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/main/utils/agent-args.test.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ describe('buildAgentArgs', () => {
 	});
 
 	// -- workingDirArgs --
-	it('adds workingDirArgs when cwd provided', () => {
+	it('prepends workingDirArgs when cwd provided', () => {
+		// Codex treats `-C` as a root-level global flag — it must appear before
+		// any subcommand (e.g. `exec`) or it is silently ignored (#959).
 		const agent = makeAgent({
 			workingDirArgs: (dir: string) => ['-C', dir],
 		});
@@ -110,7 +112,21 @@ describe('buildAgentArgs', () => {
 			baseArgs: ['--print'],
 			cwd: '/home/user/project',
 		});
-		expect(result).toEqual(['--print', '-C', '/home/user/project']);
+		expect(result).toEqual(['-C', '/home/user/project', '--print']);
+	});
+
+	it('places workingDirArgs before batchModePrefix subcommand', () => {
+		// Regression: -C must land before `exec` so Codex picks up the cwd.
+		const agent = makeAgent({
+			batchModePrefix: ['exec'],
+			workingDirArgs: (dir: string) => ['-C', dir],
+		});
+		const result = buildAgentArgs(agent, {
+			baseArgs: ['--json'],
+			prompt: 'do stuff',
+			cwd: '/home/user/project',
+		});
+		expect(result).toEqual(['-C', '/home/user/project', 'exec', '--json']);
 	});
 
 	it('does not add workingDirArgs when cwd is not provided', () => {
@@ -253,14 +269,16 @@ describe('buildAgentArgs', () => {
 		});
 
 		// batchModeArgs (--skip-git) is omitted when readOnlyMode is true —
-		// batch mode args grant write/approval permissions that conflict with read-only
+		// batch mode args grant write/approval permissions that conflict with read-only.
+		// workingDirArgs (-C /tmp) is prepended so the directory flag lands before
+		// the batchModePrefix subcommand (#959).
 		expect(result).toEqual([
+			'-C',
+			'/tmp',
 			'run',
 			'--print',
 			'--format',
 			'json',
-			'-C',
-			'/tmp',
 			'--agent',
 			'plan',
 			'--model',
diff --git a/src/cli/services/agent-spawner.ts b/src/cli/services/agent-spawner.ts
index 6e7a4a0f21..092eef1efa 100644
--- a/src/cli/services/agent-spawner.ts
+++ b/src/cli/services/agent-spawner.ts
@@ -357,6 +357,12 @@ async function spawnJsonLineAgent(
 
 		// Build args from agent definition
 		const args: string[] = [];
+		// Codex requires explicit working directory arg (other agents use process cwd).
+		// Must come before batchModePrefix because Codex treats `-C` as a root-level
+		// global flag that's silently ignored if it appears after the `exec` subcommand (#959).
+		if (toolType === 'codex' && def?.workingDirArgs) {
+			args.push(...def.workingDirArgs(cwd));
+		}
 		if (def?.batchModePrefix) args.push(...def.batchModePrefix);
 		if (def?.batchModeArgs) args.push(...def.batchModeArgs);
 		if (def?.jsonOutputArgs) args.push(...def.jsonOutputArgs);
@@ -365,11 +371,6 @@ async function spawnJsonLineAgent(
 			args.push(...def.resumeArgs(agentSessionId));
 		}
 
-		// Codex requires explicit working directory arg (other agents use process cwd)
-		if (toolType === 'codex' && def?.workingDirArgs) {
-			args.push(...def.workingDirArgs(cwd));
-		}
-
 		// Add prompt (with or without '--' separator depending on agent)
 		if (!def?.noPromptSeparator) {
 			args.push('--');
diff --git a/src/main/agents/definitions.ts b/src/main/agents/definitions.ts
index 8693830459..5d81793e89 100644
--- a/src/main/agents/definitions.ts
+++ b/src/main/agents/definitions.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,9 @@ export const AGENT_DEFINITIONS: AgentDefinition[] = [
 		// Base args for interactive mode (no flags that are exec-only)
 		args: [],
 		// Codex CLI argument builders
-		// Batch mode: codex exec --json --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox --skip-git-repo-check [--sandbox read-only] [-C dir] [resume <id>] -- "prompt"
+		// Batch mode: codex [-C dir] exec --json --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox --skip-git-repo-check [--sandbox read-only] [resume <id>] -- "prompt"
+		// `-C` is a root-level global flag and MUST appear before the `exec` subcommand
+		// or Codex silently ignores it (see #959). buildAgentArgs prepends workingDirArgs accordingly.
 		// Sandbox modes:
 		//   - Default (YOLO): --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox (full system access, required by Maestro)
 		//   - Read-only: --sandbox read-only (can only read files, overrides YOLO)
diff --git a/src/main/utils/agent-args.ts b/src/main/utils/agent-args.ts
index 222487120e..c33feb4ec4 100644
--- a/src/main/utils/agent-args.ts
+++ b/src/main/utils/agent-args.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ export function buildAgentArgs(
 	}
 
 	if (agent.workingDirArgs && options.cwd) {
-		finalArgs = [...finalArgs, ...agent.workingDirArgs(options.cwd)];
+		// Prepend so the directory flag lands before any subcommand (e.g. Codex
+		// `exec`). Codex treats `-C` as a root-level global flag — placing it
+		// after the subcommand makes it silently ignored (#959).
+		finalArgs = [...agent.workingDirArgs(options.cwd), ...finalArgs];
 	}
 
 	if (options.readOnlyMode && agent.readOnlyArgs) {