diff --git a/.github/workflows/tox.yml b/.github/workflows/tox.yml
index 1b999ab3b..c2cd6a432 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tox.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tox.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix: ${{ fromJson(needs.pre.outputs.matrix) }}
 
     env:
-      PYTEST_REQPASS: 446
+      PYTEST_REQPASS: 447
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
         with:
diff --git a/molecule/smoke/converge.yml b/molecule/smoke/converge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03c01c0a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/molecule/smoke/converge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+- name: Converge
+  hosts: localhost
+  tasks:
+    - name: Assert CWD is the same as playbook_dir
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - playbook_dir == lookup('env', 'PWD')
+        msg: >
+          Molecule should automatically chdir to scenario directory {{ playbook_dir }}
+          but we found that it runs from {{ lookup('env', 'PWD') }} instead."
diff --git a/molecule/smoke/molecule.yml b/molecule/smoke/molecule.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e6418d79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/molecule/smoke/molecule.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+platforms:
+  - name: localhost
diff --git a/src/molecule/config.py b/src/molecule/config.py
index 2453bd695..ba60d939b 100644
--- a/src/molecule/config.py
+++ b/src/molecule/config.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import os
 import warnings
 from collections.abc import MutableMapping
+from pathlib import Path
 from uuid import uuid4
 
 from ansible_compat.ports import cache, cached_property
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._run_uuid = str(uuid4())
         self.project_directory = os.getenv("MOLECULE_PROJECT_DIRECTORY", os.getcwd())
         self.runtime = app.runtime
+        self.scenario_path = Path(molecule_file).parent
 
     def after_init(self):
         self.config = self._reget_config()
diff --git a/src/molecule/provisioner/ansible_playbook.py b/src/molecule/provisioner/ansible_playbook.py
index 56134abf8..87028627b 100644
--- a/src/molecule/provisioner/ansible_playbook.py
+++ b/src/molecule/provisioner/ansible_playbook.py
@@ -110,10 +110,12 @@ def execute(self, action_args=None):
         with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as warns:
             warnings.filterwarnings("default", category=MoleculeRuntimeWarning)
             self._config.driver.sanity_checks()
+            cwd = self._config.scenario_path
             result = util.run_command(
                 cmd=self._ansible_command,
                 env=self._env,
                 debug=self._config.debug,
+                cwd=cwd,
             )
 
         if result.returncode != 0:
diff --git a/src/molecule/test/b_functional/test_command.py b/src/molecule/test/b_functional/test_command.py
index 7c5a98301..8e86d87c8 100644
--- a/src/molecule/test/b_functional/test_command.py
+++ b/src/molecule/test/b_functional/test_command.py
@@ -352,3 +352,10 @@ def test_docker() -> None:
         ).returncode
         == 0
     )
+
+
+def test_smoke() -> None:
+    """Execute smoke-test scenario that should spot potentially breaking changes."""
+    assert run_command(
+        ["molecule", "test", "--scenario-name", "smoke"],
+    )