diff --git a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/Publisher.cs b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/Publisher.cs
index 0c69b69f334..cdae244b4fa 100644
--- a/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/Publisher.cs
+++ b/src/Aspire.Hosting/Publishing/Publisher.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public Task PublishAsync(DistributedApplicationModel model, CancellationToken ca
             );
         }
 
-        var context = new PublishingContext(model, executionContext, serviceProvider, logger, cancellationToken, options.Value.OutputPath);
+        var context = new PublishingContext(model, executionContext, serviceProvider, logger, cancellationToken, Path.GetFullPath(options.Value.OutputPath));
         return context.WriteModelAsync(model);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/PublishingTests.cs b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/PublishingTests.cs
index 530413272b3..91ea6687d3c 100644
--- a/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/PublishingTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aspire.Hosting.Tests/PublishingTests.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public void PublishCallsPublishingCallback()
                     Assert.True(context.CancellationToken.CanBeCanceled);
                     Assert.Equal(DistributedApplicationOperation.Publish, context.ExecutionContext.Operation);
                     Assert.Equal("default", context.ExecutionContext.PublisherName);
+                    Assert.True(Path.IsPathFullyQualified(context.OutputPath));
                     publishedCalled = true;
                     return Task.CompletedTask;
                 });
@@ -32,4 +33,4 @@ public void PublishCallsPublishingCallback()
 
         Assert.True(publishedCalled, "Publishing callback was not called.");
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}