diff --git a/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0afa22c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/bindep/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/bindep/tasks/main.yaml
index 3ed80389c..90be192f4 100644
--- a/roles/bindep/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/bindep/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 - name: Install distro packages from bindep
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
     executable: /bin/bash
   shell: |
     # set a default path to the preinstalled bindep entrypoint
diff --git a/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0afa22c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/tasks/main.yaml
index 88e00b341..22c3ce5cc 100644
--- a/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/fetch-sphinx-output/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
   synchronize:
     dest: "{{ zuul.executor.log_root }}"
     mode: pull
-    src: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}/doc/build/html"
+    src: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}/doc/build/html"
   no_log: true
diff --git a/roles/run-bindep/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-bindep/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0afa22c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/run-bindep/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-cover/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-cover/defaults/main.yaml
index 362a70046..d0c50c392 100644
--- a/roles/run-cover/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-cover/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 ---
 tox_environment: cover
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-cover/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-cover/tasks/main.yaml
index eb2494341..d12a2d397 100644
--- a/roles/run-cover/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-cover/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - name: Run code coverage
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
   shell: |
     #!/bin/bash -xe
 
diff --git a/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
index c6897080a..014e98cfe 100644
--- a/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 ---
 tox_environment: venv
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
index 426834b65..26ea6c0d0 100644
--- a/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - name: Build a tarball
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
   shell: |
     #!/bin/bash -xe
 
diff --git a/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
index c6897080a..014e98cfe 100644
--- a/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 ---
 tox_environment: venv
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
index 73afb2659..d7ffdee88 100644
--- a/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - name: Build a wheel
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
   shell: |
     #!/bin/bash -xe
 
diff --git a/roles/test-setup/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/test-setup/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0afa22c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/test-setup/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/test-setup/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/test-setup/tasks/main.yaml
index 36a86843b..0fa552008 100644
--- a/roles/test-setup/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/test-setup/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 - name: Check if project's tools/test-setup.sh exists
   stat:
-    path: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}/tools/test-setup.sh"
+    path: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}/tools/test-setup.sh"
   register: p
 
 - name: Run tools/test-setup.sh
   shell: tools/test-setup.sh
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
   when:
     - p.stat.exists
     - p.stat.executable
diff --git a/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
index c6897080a..014e98cfe 100644
--- a/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 ---
 tox_environment: venv
+zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
index bc4f4326c..f065fd2a0 100644
--- a/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - name: Run tox
   args:
-    chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
     executable: /bin/bash
   shell: |
     # If a bundle file is present, call tox with the jenkins version of