diff --git a/src/container.c b/src/container.c
index a7029c4..d5efdb2 100644
--- a/src/container.c
+++ b/src/container.c
@@ -336,10 +336,10 @@ static int container_setup_workdir(struct hyper_container *container)
 {
 	if (container->initialize) {
 		// create workdir
-		hyper_mkdir(container->workdir);
+		hyper_mkdir(container->exec.workdir);
 	}
 
-	if (container->workdir && chdir(container->workdir) < 0) {
+	if (container->exec.workdir && chdir(container->exec.workdir) < 0) {
 		perror("change work directory failed");
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/src/container.h b/src/container.h
index f8f0144..5a43ac8 100644
--- a/src/container.h
+++ b/src/container.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ struct hyper_container {
 	char			*rootfs;
 	char			*image;
 	char			*scsiaddr;
-	char			*workdir;
 	char			*fstype;
 	struct volume		*vols;
 	struct env		*envs;
diff --git a/src/exec.h b/src/exec.h
index d664976..7ab2068 100644
--- a/src/exec.h
+++ b/src/exec.h
@@ -9,12 +9,6 @@ struct hyper_exec {
 	struct hyper_event	stdinev;
 	struct hyper_event	stdoutev;
 	struct hyper_event	stderrev;
-	char			*id;
-	char			**argv;
-	int			argc;
-	int			tty; // use tty or not
-	uint64_t		seq;
-	uint64_t		errseq;
 	int			pid;
 	int			ptyno;
 	int			init;
@@ -26,6 +20,15 @@ struct hyper_exec {
 	uint8_t			code;
 	uint8_t			exit;
 	uint8_t			ref;
+
+	// configs
+	char			*id;
+	char			**argv;
+	int			argc;
+	int			tty; // use tty or not
+	uint64_t		seq;
+	uint64_t		errseq;
+	char			*workdir;
 };
 
 struct hyper_pod;
diff --git a/src/parse.c b/src/parse.c
index 9fc7866..d693ce1 100644
--- a/src/parse.c
+++ b/src/parse.c
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ static void container_cleanup_exec(struct hyper_exec *exec)
 	free(exec->id);
 	exec->id = NULL;
 
+	free(exec->workdir);
+	exec->workdir = NULL;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < exec->argc; i++) {
 		free(exec->argv[i]);
 	}
@@ -441,9 +444,6 @@ void hyper_free_container(struct hyper_container *c)
 	free(c->scsiaddr);
 	c->scsiaddr = NULL;
 
-	free(c->workdir);
-	c->workdir = NULL;
-
 	free(c->fstype);
 	c->fstype = NULL;
 
@@ -524,8 +524,8 @@ static int hyper_parse_container(struct hyper_pod *pod, struct hyper_container *
 			fprintf(stdout, "container stderr seq %" PRIu64 "\n", c->exec.errseq);
 			i++;
 		} else if (json_token_streq(json, t, "workdir") && t->size == 1) {
-			c->workdir = (json_token_str(json, &toks[++i]));
-			fprintf(stdout, "container workdir %s\n", c->workdir);
+			c->exec.workdir = (json_token_str(json, &toks[++i]));
+			fprintf(stdout, "container workdir %s\n", c->exec.workdir);
 			i++;
 		} else if (json_token_streq(json, t, "image") && t->size == 1) {
 			c->image = (json_token_str(json, &toks[++i]));