diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
index 8f04d89c2c..9d0be1b186 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ func registerExternals() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, d := range runExternals {
+		if d == "." {
+			if cwd, err := os.Getwd(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			} else {
+				d = cwd
+			}
+		}
 		err := kola.RegisterExternalTests(d)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
index eb3ece64b3..a1ade5a04f 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
@@ -182,6 +182,12 @@ func syncOptionsImpl(useCosa bool) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// if no external dirs were given, automatically add the working directory;
+	// does nothing if ./tests/kola/ doesn't exist
+	if len(runExternals) == 0 {
+		runExternals = []string{"."}
+	}
+
 	foundCosa := false
 	if kola.Options.CosaBuildId != "" {
 		// specified --build? fetch that build. in this path we *require* a