diff --git a/etiquette/photodb.py b/etiquette/photodb.py
index 8e60946..7d93cec 100644
--- a/etiquette/photodb.py
+++ b/etiquette/photodb.py
@@ -1953,21 +1953,20 @@ class PhotoDB(
         self.sql.commit()
 
     @classmethod
-    def closest_photodb(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+    def closest_photodb(cls, path, *args, **kwargs):
         '''
         Starting from the cwd and climbing upwards towards the filesystem root,
         look for an existing Etiquette data directory and return the PhotoDB
         object. If none exists, raise exceptions.NoClosestPhotoDB.
         '''
-        cwd = pathclass.cwd()
+        starting = path
 
-        path = cwd
         while True:
             if path.with_child(constants.DEFAULT_DATADIR).is_dir:
                 break
             parent = path.parent
             if path == parent:
-                raise exceptions.NoClosestPhotoDB(cwd.absolute_path)
+                raise exceptions.NoClosestPhotoDB(starting.absolute_path)
             path = parent
 
         path = path.with_child(constants.DEFAULT_DATADIR)
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_cli.py b/frontends/etiquette_cli.py
index 116269c..ff7da59 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_cli.py
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_cli.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def find_photodb():
         pass
 
     # If this raises, main will catch it.
-    photodb = etiquette.photodb.PhotoDB.closest_photodb(log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
+    photodb = etiquette.photodb.PhotoDB.closest_photodb(cwd, log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
     photodbs[cwd] = photodb
     return photodb
 
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_dev.py b/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_dev.py
index 8554bdf..b4577ce 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_dev.py
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_dev.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def etiquette_flask_launch(
         site.localhost_only = True
 
     try:
-        backend.common.init_photodb(log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
+        backend.common.init_photodb(path=pathclass.cwd(), log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
     except etiquette.exceptions.NoClosestPhotoDB as exc:
         pipeable.stderr(exc.error_message)
         pipeable.stderr('Try `etiquette_cli.py init` to create the database.')
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_prod.py b/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_prod.py
index 535adb4..424e000 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_prod.py
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_flask/etiquette_flask_prod.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ gunicorn etiquette_flask_prod:site --bind "0.0.0.0:PORT" --access-logfile "-"
 '''
 import werkzeug.middleware.proxy_fix
 
+from voussoirkit import pathclass
+
 import backend
 
 backend.site.wsgi_app = werkzeug.middleware.proxy_fix.ProxyFix(backend.site.wsgi_app)
@@ -13,4 +15,4 @@ backend.site.wsgi_app = werkzeug.middleware.proxy_fix.ProxyFix(backend.site.wsgi
 site = backend.site
 site.debug = False
 
-backend.common.init_photodb()
+backend.common.init_photodb(path=pathclass.cwd())
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_repl.py b/frontends/etiquette_repl.py
index de82f4c..e25390e 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_repl.py
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_repl.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import traceback
 
 from voussoirkit import interactive
+from voussoirkit import pathclass
 from voussoirkit import pipeable
 from voussoirkit import vlogging
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ def erepl_argparse(args):
     global P
 
     try:
-        P = etiquette.photodb.PhotoDB.closest_photodb(log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
+        P = etiquette.photodb.PhotoDB.closest_photodb(pathclass.cwd(), log_level=LOG_LEVEL)
     except etiquette.exceptions.NoClosestPhotoDB as exc:
         pipeable.stderr(exc.error_message)
         pipeable.stderr('Try `etiquette_cli.py init` to create the database.')