diff --git a/bin/rclaude b/bin/rclaude
index edd87a9..81f7303 100755
--- a/bin/rclaude
+++ b/bin/rclaude
@@ -23,20 +23,50 @@
 # other --permission-mode value) if you want prompts back.
 #
 # Usage:
+#   rclaude                                  # local, current pwd (shorthand)
+#   rclaude .                                # same
 #   rclaude apricot                          # remote home dir on apricot
 #   rclaude apricot ~/Code/@projects/foo     # remote, specific dir
-#   rclaude local ~/Code/@projects/foo       # local tmux-wrapped session
-#   rclaude $(hostname) ~                    # same — detected as local
+#   rclaude local .                          # local, current pwd (explicit)
+#   rclaude local ~/Code/@projects/foo       # local, specific dir
+#   rclaude $(hostname) ~                    # also local (hostname match)
 
 set -eu
 
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
-    echo "usage: $0 <host> [dir]   (dir defaults to remote/local \$HOME)" >&2
-    exit 2
+# Argument resolution:
+#   `rclaude`        → local, $PWD
+#   `rclaude .`      → local, $PWD
+#   `rclaude <host>` → host, default dir (~ remote, $PWD local)
+#   `rclaude <host> <dir>` → host, dir (with `.` resolving to $PWD)
+if [ $# -eq 0 ] || [ "${1:-}" = "." ]; then
+    host=local
+    dir=$PWD
+else
+    host=$1
+    dir=${2:-}
 fi
 
-host=$1
-dir=${2:-\~}
+is_local() {
+    case $1 in
+        local|localhost|127.0.0.1|::1) return 0 ;;
+    esac
+    [ "$1" = "$(hostname)" ] && return 0
+    [ "$1" = "$(hostname -s 2>/dev/null)" ] && return 0
+    return 1
+}
+
+# Defaults + `.` expansion now that we know whether we're local or remote.
+if is_local "$host"; then
+    case ${dir:-.} in
+        .|"") dir=$PWD ;;
+    esac
+else
+    if [ "$dir" = "." ]; then
+        echo "error: '.' as dir requires a local target; pass an explicit remote path" >&2
+        exit 2
+    fi
+    [ -z "$dir" ] && dir=\~
+fi
 
 slug=$(printf %s "$dir" | sed -e 's|^[~/]*||' -e 's|[^A-Za-z0-9]|-|g')
 [ -z "$slug" ] && slug=home
@@ -48,18 +78,9 @@ case $perms in
     *)      flag="--permission-mode $perms" ;;
 esac
 
-is_local() {
-    case $1 in
-        local|localhost|127.0.0.1|::1) return 0 ;;
-    esac
-    [ "$1" = "$(hostname)" ] && return 0
-    [ "$1" = "$(hostname -s 2>/dev/null)" ] && return 0
-    return 1
-}
-
 if is_local "$host"; then
-    # No ssh hop — just local tmux. eval expands ~ and env vars in dir.
-    eval "cd ${dir}"
+    # No ssh hop — local tmux. dir is already an absolute path here.
+    cd "$dir"
     exec tmux new-session -A -s "$session" "exec claude --continue ${flag}"
 fi