diff --git a/gunicorn/app/djangoapp.py b/gunicorn/app/djangoapp.py
index c9cbb00e..7c4696f6 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/djangoapp.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/djangoapp.py
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ class DjangoApplication(Application):
                 self.cfg.set("pythonpath", pythonpath)
 
     def load(self):
+        # chdir to the configured path before loading,
+        # default is the current dir
+        os.chdir(self.cfg.chdir)
+
         # set settings
         make_default_env(self.cfg)
 
@@ -126,6 +130,10 @@ class DjangoApplicationCommand(Application):
         return cfg
 
     def load(self):
+        # chdir to the configured path before loading,
+        # default is the current dir
+        os.chdir(self.cfg.chdir)
+
         # set settings
         make_default_env(self.cfg)
 
diff --git a/gunicorn/app/pasterapp.py b/gunicorn/app/pasterapp.py
index e05e3f17..ff0e103d 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/pasterapp.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/pasterapp.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ class PasterBaseApplication(Application):
     gcfg = None
 
     def app_config(self):
-        cx = loadwsgi.loadcontext(SERVER, self.cfgurl, relative_to=self.relpath, global_conf=self.gcfg)
+        cx = loadwsgi.loadcontext(SERVER, self.cfgurl,
+                relative_to=self.relpath, global_conf=self.gcfg)
         gc, lc = cx.global_conf.copy(), cx.local_conf.copy()
         cfg = {}
 
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@ class PasterApplication(PasterBaseApplication):
         return self.app_config()
 
     def load(self):
+        # chdir to the configured path before loading,
+        # default is the current dir
+        os.chdir(self.cfg.chdir)
+
         return loadapp(self.cfgurl, relative_to=self.relpath, global_conf=self.gcfg)
 
 
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ class PasterServerApplication(PasterBaseApplication):
 
     def __init__(self, app, gcfg=None, host="127.0.0.1", port=None, *args, **kwargs):
         self.cfg = Config()
-        self.gcfg = gcfg # need to hold this for app_config 
+        self.gcfg = gcfg # need to hold this for app_config
         self.app = app
         self.callable = None
 
@@ -134,6 +139,10 @@ class PasterServerApplication(PasterBaseApplication):
                 self.load_config_from_file(default_config)
 
     def load(self):
+        # chdir to the configured path before loading,
+        # default is the current dir
+        os.chdir(self.cfg.chdir)
+
         return self.app
 
 
diff --git a/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py b/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
index 2d17e619..e3131e14 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@ class WSGIApplication(Application):
         self.cfg.set("default_proc_name", args[0])
         self.app_uri = args[0]
 
-        cwd = util.getcwd()
-
-        sys.path.insert(0, cwd)
-
     def load(self):
+        # chdir to the configured path before loading,
+        # default is the current dir
+        os.chdir(self.cfg.chdir)
+
+        # add the path to sys.path
+        sys.path.insert(0, self.cfg.chdir)
+
         try:
             djangoapp.make_default_env(self.cfg)
         except RuntimeError:
diff --git a/gunicorn/arbiter.py b/gunicorn/arbiter.py
index 693b5f3d..b48e5b7c 100644
--- a/gunicorn/arbiter.py
+++ b/gunicorn/arbiter.py
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ class Arbiter(object):
         Initialize the arbiter. Start listening and set pidfile if needed.
         """
         self.log.info("Starting gunicorn %s", __version__)
+
         self.pid = os.getpid()
         if self.cfg.pidfile is not None:
             self.pidfile = Pidfile(self.cfg.pidfile)
diff --git a/gunicorn/config.py b/gunicorn/config.py
index 666fc09a..209972ec 100644
--- a/gunicorn/config.py
+++ b/gunicorn/config.py
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ class Config(object):
         self.env_orig = os.environ.copy()
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
-        if name == "env_orig":
-            return self.env_orig
-
         if name not in self.settings:
             raise AttributeError("No configuration setting for: %s" % name)
         return self.settings[name].get()
@@ -390,8 +387,23 @@ def validate_post_request(val):
     else:
         raise TypeError("Value must have an arity of: 4")
 
+
+def validate_chdir(val):
+    # valid if the value is a string
+    val = validate_string(val)
+
+    # transform relative paths
+    path = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(util.getcwd(), val)))
+
+    # test if the path exists
+    if not os.path.exists(path):
+        raise ConfigError("can't chdir to %r" % val)
+
+    return path
+
 def get_default_config_file():
-    config_path = os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.getcwd()), 'gunicorn.conf.py')
+    config_path = os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.getcwd()),
+            'gunicorn.conf.py')
     if os.path.exists(config_path):
         return config_path
     return None
@@ -708,6 +720,17 @@ class PreloadApp(Setting):
         """
 
 
+class Chdir(Setting):
+    name = "chdir"
+    section = "Server Mechanics"
+    cli = ["--chdir"]
+    validator = validate_chdir
+    default = util.getcwd()
+    desc = """\
+        Chdir to specified directory before apps loading.
+        """
+
+
 class Daemon(Setting):
     name = "daemon"
     section = "Server Mechanics"