diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/Aapt.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/Aapt.cs
index 43e3c4d000e..4627c460971 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/Aapt.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/Aapt.cs
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ protected string GenerateCommandLineCommands (string ManifestFile, string curren
 			manifest.Save (manifestFile);
 
 			cmd.AppendSwitchIfNotNull ("-M ", manifestFile);
-			Directory.CreateDirectory (JavaDesignerOutputDirectory);
+			var designerDirectory = Path.IsPathRooted (JavaDesignerOutputDirectory) ? JavaDesignerOutputDirectory : Path.Combine (WorkingDirectory, JavaDesignerOutputDirectory);
+			Directory.CreateDirectory (designerDirectory);
 			cmd.AppendSwitchIfNotNull ("-J ", JavaDesignerOutputDirectory);
 
 			if (PackageName != null)