diff --git a/src/tests/websocket/listen-client-protocol.test.ts b/src/tests/websocket/listen-client-protocol.test.ts
index 348c6c1..e7d4f9b 100644
--- a/src/tests/websocket/listen-client-protocol.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/websocket/listen-client-protocol.test.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,14 @@ describe("listen-client state_response control protocol", () => {
     const snapshot = __listenClientTestUtils.buildStateResponse(runtime, 1);
     expect(snapshot.control_response_capable).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  test("includes the effective working directory", () => {
+    const runtime = __listenClientTestUtils.createRuntime();
+    const snapshot = __listenClientTestUtils.buildStateResponse(runtime, 1);
+
+    expect(typeof snapshot.cwd).toBe("string");
+    expect(snapshot.cwd.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("listen-client state_response pending interrupt snapshot", () => {
diff --git a/src/websocket/listen-client.ts b/src/websocket/listen-client.ts
index 69ed17f..487dfa7 100644
--- a/src/websocket/listen-client.ts
+++ b/src/websocket/listen-client.ts
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ interface StateResponseMessage {
   snapshot_id: string;
   generated_at: string;
   state_seq: number;
+  cwd: string;
   mode: "default" | "acceptEdits" | "plan" | "bypassPermissions";
   is_processing: boolean;
   last_stop_reason: string | null;
@@ -723,6 +724,7 @@ function buildStateResponse(
     generated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
     state_seq: stateSeq,
     event_seq: stateSeq,
+    cwd: process.env.USER_CWD || process.cwd(),
     mode: permissionMode.getMode(),
     is_processing: runtime.isProcessing,
     last_stop_reason: runtime.lastStopReason,