diff --git a/packages/core/lib/runner.js b/packages/core/lib/runner.js
index 748071c3f5..dbae40e9b3 100644
--- a/packages/core/lib/runner.js
+++ b/packages/core/lib/runner.js
@@ -453,8 +453,7 @@ function createContext(script, contextVars, additionalProperties = {}) {
         $environment: script._environment,
         $processEnvironment: process.env, // TODO: deprecate
         $env: process.env,
-        $testId: global.artillery.testRunId,
-        $dirname: path.dirname(script._configPath)
+        $testId: global.artillery.testRunId
       },
       contextVars || {}
     ),
@@ -466,6 +465,10 @@ function createContext(script, contextVars, additionalProperties = {}) {
     ...additionalPropertiesWithoutOverride
   };
 
+  if (script._configPath) {
+    INITIAL_CONTEXT.vars.$dirname = path.dirname(script._configPath);
+  }
+
   let result = INITIAL_CONTEXT;
 
   // variables from payloads:
@@ -477,6 +480,7 @@ function createContext(script, contextVars, additionalProperties = {}) {
 
   result._uid = uuidv4();
   result.vars.$uuid = result._uid;
+
   return result;
 }