diff --git a/collects/repo-time-stamp/stamp.rkt b/collects/repo-time-stamp/stamp.rkt
index f764632f8e..e71cedc568 100644
--- a/collects/repo-time-stamp/stamp.rkt
+++ b/collects/repo-time-stamp/stamp.rkt
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 
 (require racket/system racket/runtime-path)
 
-(define-runtime-path this "stamp.rkt")
+(define-runtime-path this-dir  ".")
+(define-runtime-path this-file "stamp.rkt")
 
 (define stamp
   (let ([rx:secs+id #rx"^([0-9]+)\\|([0-9a-f]+|-)\\|(.*?)[ \r\n]*$"])
@@ -22,14 +23,15 @@
                       (and exe
                            (let ([out (open-output-string)])
                              (parameterize ([current-output-port out]
-                                            [current-error-port out])
+                                            [current-error-port out]
+                                            [current-directory this-dir])
                                (system* exe "log" "-1"
                                         "--pretty=format:%ct|%h|g")
                                (get-output-string out))))))
                   ;; fallback: get the date of this file, no id
                   (lambda ()
                     (format "~a|-|f"
-                            (file-or-directory-modify-seconds this))))])
+                            (file-or-directory-modify-seconds this-file))))])
       (let* ([x (x)]
              [m (and (string? x) (regexp-match rx:secs+id x))]
              [d (and m (seconds->date (string->number (cadr m))))])