diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ac011f6151a..a23fbc1f32f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ container runtime environment for applications. It can be used with your
 existing process monitoring tools and the container will be spawned as a
 direct child of the process supervisor.
 
-After creating config files for your root filesystem with runc, you can execute a
-container in your shell by running:
+After creating config files for your root filesystem with runc, you can execute 
+a container in your shell by running:
 
     # cd /mycontainer
-    # runc start [ -c spec-config-file ] [ -r runtime-config-file ]
+    # runc start [ -b bundle-dir ] 
 
-If not specified, the default value for the 'spec-config-file' is 'config.json',
-and the default value for the 'runtime-config-file' is 'runtime.json'.`
+If not specified, the default value for the 'bundle-dir' is './'. 'Bundle-dir' 
+is the location where 'config.json' and 'runtime.json' must be located.`
 )
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/restore.go b/restore.go
index 919e9c970d6..3a2f57e80d2 100644
--- a/restore.go
+++ b/restore.go
@@ -50,14 +50,9 @@ var restoreCommand = cli.Command{
 			Usage: "cgroups mode: 'soft' (default), 'full' and 'strict'.",
 		},
 		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "config-file, c",
-			Value: "config.json",
-			Usage: "path to spec file for writing",
-		},
-		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "runtime-file, r",
-			Value: "runtime.json",
-			Usage: "path for runtime file for writing",
+			Name:  "bundle-dir, b",
+			Value: "./",
+			Usage: "path to the root of the bundle directory",
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) {
@@ -65,7 +60,13 @@ var restoreCommand = cli.Command{
 		if imagePath == "" {
 			imagePath = getDefaultImagePath(context)
 		}
-		spec, rspec, err := loadSpec(context.String("config-file"), context.String("runtime-file"))
+		bundleDir := context.String("bundle-dir")
+		if bundleDir != "./" {
+			if err := os.Chdir(bundleDir); err != nil {
+				fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+		spec, rspec, err := loadSpec("config.json", "runtime.json")
 		if err != nil {
 			fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/spec.go b/spec.go
index 69cf47b799a..9ae5ce05581 100644
--- a/spec.go
+++ b/spec.go
@@ -26,14 +26,9 @@ var specCommand = cli.Command{
 	Usage: "create a new specification file",
 	Flags: []cli.Flag{
 		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "config-file, c",
-			Value: "config.json",
-			Usage: "path to spec config file for writing",
-		},
-		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "runtime-file, r",
-			Value: "runtime.json",
-			Usage: "path to runtime config file for writing",
+			Name:  "bundle-dir, b",
+			Value: "./",
+			Usage: "path to the root of the bundle directory",
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) {
@@ -247,8 +242,14 @@ var specCommand = cli.Command{
 			}
 			return nil
 		}
-		cName := context.String("config-file")
-		rName := context.String("runtime-file")
+		bundleDir := context.String("bundle-dir")
+		if bundleDir != "./" {
+			if err := os.Chdir(bundleDir); err != nil {
+				fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+		cName := "config.json"
+		rName := "runtime.json"
 		if err := checkNoFile(cName); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index e047e610d2d..19f57a676a4 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@ var startCommand = cli.Command{
 	Usage: "create and run a container",
 	Flags: []cli.Flag{
 		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "config-file, c",
-			Value: "config.json",
-			Usage: "path to spec config file",
-		},
-		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "runtime-file, r",
-			Value: "runtime.json",
-			Usage: "path to runtime config file",
+			Name:  "bundle-dir, b",
+			Value: "./",
+			Usage: "path to the root of the bundle directory",
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) {
-		spec, rspec, err := loadSpec(context.String("config-file"), context.String("runtime-file"))
+		bundleDir := context.String("bundle-dir")
+		if bundleDir != "./" {
+			if err := os.Chdir(bundleDir); err != nil {
+				fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+		spec, rspec, err := loadSpec("config.json", "runtime.json")
 		if err != nil {
 			fatal(err)
 		}