diff --git a/src/orion/client/experiment.py b/src/orion/client/experiment.py
index 2370cc022d..b08e16cc66 100644
--- a/src/orion/client/experiment.py
+++ b/src/orion/client/experiment.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import orion.core
 import orion.core.utils.format_trials as format_trials
 from orion.core.io.database import DuplicateKeyError
+from orion.core.utils import backward
 from orion.core.utils.exceptions import (
     BrokenExperiment,
     CompletedExperiment,
@@ -842,6 +843,7 @@ def _optimize(
                 with self.suggest(
                     pool_size=pool_size, timeout=reservation_timeout
                 ) as trial:
+                    backward.ensure_trial_working_dir(self, trial)
 
                     kwargs.update(flatten(trial.params))
 
diff --git a/src/orion/core/utils/backward.py b/src/orion/core/utils/backward.py
index b8fda5ce92..2dc5d7ac91 100644
--- a/src/orion/core/utils/backward.py
+++ b/src/orion/core/utils/backward.py
@@ -184,3 +184,9 @@ def algo_observe(algo, trials, results):
             trial.results.append(Trial.Result(name=name, type=name, value=trial_result))
 
     algo.observe(trials)
+
+
+def ensure_trial_working_dir(experiment, trial):
+    """If the trial's exp working dir is not set, set it to current experiment's working dir."""
+    if not trial.exp_working_dir:
+        trial.exp_working_dir = experiment.working_dir