diff --git a/anki/media.py b/anki/media.py
index c6b577f95..d7750899f 100644
--- a/anki/media.py
+++ b/anki/media.py
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ class MediaManager:
         self._dir = re.sub("(?i)\.(anki2)$", ".media", self.col.path)
         if not os.path.exists(self._dir):
             os.makedirs(self._dir)
+        try:
+            self._oldcwd = os.getcwd()
+        except OSError:
+            # cwd doesn't exist
+            self._oldcwd = None
+        try:
+            os.chdir(self._dir)
+        except OSError:
+            raise Exception("invalidTempFolder")
         # change database
         self.connect()
 
@@ -43,6 +52,7 @@ class MediaManager:
             return
         path = self.dir()+".db2"
         create = not os.path.exists(path)
+        os.chdir(self._dir)
         self.db = DB(path)
         if create:
             self._initDB()
@@ -84,16 +94,23 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
                 # anew
                 self.col.log("failed to import old media db:"+traceback.format_exc())
             self.db.execute("detach old")
-            npath = os.path.join(self.dir(), "collection.media.db.old")
+            npath = "../collection.media.db.old"
             if os.path.exists(npath):
                 os.unlink(npath)
-            os.rename(os.path.join(self.dir(), "collection.media.db"), npath)
+            os.rename("../collection.media.db", npath)
 
     def close(self):
         if self.col.server:
             return
         self.db.close()
         self.db = None
+        # change cwd back to old location
+        if self._oldcwd:
+            try:
+                os.chdir(self._oldcwd)
+            except:
+                # may have been deleted
+                pass
 
     def dir(self):
         return self._dir
@@ -243,26 +260,24 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
             files = local
         renamedFiles = False
         for file in files:
-            path = os.path.join(self.dir(), file)
             if not local:
-                if not os.path.isfile(path):
+                if not os.path.isfile(file):
                     # ignore directories
                     continue
             if file.startswith("_"):
                 # leading _ says to ignore file
                 continue
             nfcFile = unicodedata.normalize("NFC", file)
-            nfcPath = os.path.join(self.dir(), nfcFile)
             # we enforce NFC fs encoding on non-macs; on macs we'll have gotten
             # NFD so we use the above variable for comparing references
             if not isMac and not local:
                 if file != nfcFile:
                     # delete if we already have the NFC form, otherwise rename
-                    if os.path.exists(nfcPath):
-                        os.unlink(path)
+                    if os.path.exists(nfcFile):
+                        os.unlink(file)
                         renamedFiles = True
                     else:
-                        os.rename(path, nfcPath)
+                        os.rename(file, nfcFile)
                         renamedFiles = True
                     file = nfcFile
             # compare
@@ -332,9 +347,8 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
         (added, removed) = self._changes()
         media = []
         for f in added:
-            path = os.path.join(self.dir(), f)
-            mt = self._mtime(path)
-            media.append((f, self._checksum(path), mt, 1))
+            mt = self._mtime(f)
+            media.append((f, self._checksum(f), mt, 1))
         for f in removed:
             media.append((f, None, 0, 1))
         # update media db
@@ -352,9 +366,8 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
         removed = []
         # loop through on-disk files
         for f in os.listdir(self.dir()):
-            path = os.path.join(self.dir(), f)
             # ignore folders and thumbs.db
-            if os.path.isdir(path):
+            if os.path.isdir(f):
                 continue
             if f.lower() == "thumbs.db":
                 continue
@@ -362,9 +375,9 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
             if self.hasIllegal(f):
                 continue
             # empty files are invalid; clean them up and continue
-            sz = os.path.getsize(path)
+            sz = os.path.getsize(f)
             if not sz:
-                os.unlink(path)
+                os.unlink(f)
                 continue
             if sz > 100*1024*1024:
                 self.col.log("ignoring file over 100MB", f)
@@ -372,21 +385,20 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
             # check encoding
             if not isMac:
                 normf = unicodedata.normalize("NFC", f)
-                normpath = os.path.join(self.dir(), normf)
                 if f != normf:
                     # wrong filename encoding which will cause sync errors
-                    if os.path.exists(normpath):
-                        os.unlink(path)
+                    if os.path.exists(normf):
+                        os.unlink(f)
                     else:
-                        os.rename(path, normpath)
+                        os.rename(f, normf)
             # newly added?
             if f not in self.cache:
                 added.append(f)
             else:
                 # modified since last time?
-                if self._mtime(path) != self.cache[f][1]:
+                if self._mtime(f) != self.cache[f][1]:
                     # and has different checksum?
-                    if self._checksum(path) != self.cache[f][0]:
+                    if self._checksum(f) != self.cache[f][0]:
                         added.append(f)
                 # mark as used
                 self.cache[f][2] = True
@@ -417,9 +429,8 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
                 "update media set dirty=0 where fname=?", fname)
 
     def syncDelete(self, fname):
-        path = os.path.join(self.dir(), fname)
-        if os.path.exists(path):
-            os.unlink(path)
+        if os.path.exists(fname):
+            os.unlink(fname)
         self.db.execute("delete from media where fname=?", fname)
 
     def mediaCount(self):
@@ -456,15 +467,14 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
                         "select fname, csum from media where dirty=1"
                         " limit %d"%SYNC_ZIP_COUNT)):
 
-            path = os.path.join(self.dir(), fname)
             fnames.append(fname)
             normname = unicodedata.normalize("NFC", fname)
 
             if csum:
                 self.col.log("+media zip", fname)
-                z.write(path, str(c))
+                z.write(fname, str(c))
                 meta.append((normname, str(c)))
-                sz += os.path.getsize(path)
+                sz += os.path.getsize(fname)
             else:
                 self.col.log("-media zip", fname)
                 meta.append((normname, ""))
@@ -499,10 +509,9 @@ create table meta (dirMod int, lastUsn int); insert into meta values (0, 0);
                 else:
                     name = unicodedata.normalize("NFC", name)
                 # save file
-                path = os.path.join(self.dir(), name)
-                open(path, "wb").write(data)
+                open(name, "wb").write(data)
                 # update db
-                media.append((name, csum, self._mtime(path), 0))
+                media.append((name, csum, self._mtime(name), 0))
                 cnt += 1
         if media:
             self.db.executemany(
diff --git a/tests/test_media.py b/tests/test_media.py
index 5a2a495c2..7a1c391c5 100644
--- a/tests/test_media.py
+++ b/tests/test_media.py
@@ -77,30 +77,29 @@ def test_changes():
     assert not list(added())
     assert not list(removed())
     # add a file
-    tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="anki")
-    tmp_path = os.path.join(tmp_dir, "foo.jpg")
-    open(tmp_path, "w").write("hello")
+    dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="anki")
+    path = os.path.join(dir, "foo.jpg")
+    open(path, "w").write("hello")
     time.sleep(1)
-    fname = d.media.addFile(tmp_path)
-    internal_path = os.path.join(d.media.dir(), fname)
+    path = d.media.addFile(path)
     # should have been logged
     d.media.findChanges()
     assert list(added())
     assert not list(removed())
     # if we modify it, the cache won't notice
     time.sleep(1)
-    open(internal_path, "w").write("world")
+    open(path, "w").write("world")
     assert len(list(added())) == 1
     assert not list(removed())
     # but if we add another file, it will
     time.sleep(1)
-    open(internal_path+"2", "w").write("yo")
+    open(path+"2", "w").write("yo")
     d.media.findChanges()
     assert len(list(added())) == 2
     assert not list(removed())
     # deletions should get noticed too
     time.sleep(1)
-    os.unlink(internal_path+"2")
+    os.unlink(path+"2")
     d.media.findChanges()
     assert len(list(added())) == 1
     assert len(list(removed())) == 1