diff --git a/packages/server/lib/environment.coffee b/packages/server/lib/environment.coffee
index fd99167a0a..e8a2742a89 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/environment.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/lib/environment.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 require("./util/fs")
 
 os      = require("os")
+##
+## NOTE
+##
+## by loading "./cwd" we are changing the current working directory
+## to the "packages/server" folder
 cwd     = require("./cwd")
 Promise = require("bluebird")
 
diff --git a/scripts/binary/get-config.js b/scripts/binary/get-config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56a431bad2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/binary/get-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/**
+ * Safer konfig load for test code. The original konfig changes the
+ * current working directory, thus the tests might be affected
+ * unexpectedly. This function loads the konfig, but then
+ * restores the current working directory.
+ *
+ * The tests should use this function to get `konfig` function like
+ *
+ * @example
+ *    const konfig = require('../binary/get-config')()
+ */
+const getConfig = () => {
+  const cwd = process.cwd()
+  const konfig = require('../../packages/server/lib/konfig')
+
+  // restore previous cwd in case it was changed by loading "konfig"
+  process.chdir(cwd)
+
+  return konfig
+}
+
+module.exports = getConfig
diff --git a/scripts/binary/upload-npm-package.coffee b/scripts/binary/upload-npm-package.coffee
index 081fd1ccaf..7be6116046 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/upload-npm-package.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/upload-npm-package.coffee
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ gulp = require("gulp")
 human = require("human-interval")
 R = require("ramda")
 
-konfig  = require("../../packages/server/lib/konfig")
+konfig = require('../binary/get-config')()
 uploadUtils = require("./util/upload")
 
 npmPackageExtension = ".tgz"
diff --git a/scripts/binary/upload-unique-binary.coffee b/scripts/binary/upload-unique-binary.coffee
index c2ace9771d..f786d189c8 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/upload-unique-binary.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/upload-unique-binary.coffee
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ gulp = require("gulp")
 human = require("human-interval")
 R = require("ramda")
 
-konfig  = require("../../packages/server/lib/konfig")
+konfig = require('../binary/get-config')()
 uploadUtils = require("./util/upload")
 
 # we zip the binary on every platform and upload under same name
diff --git a/scripts/binary/upload.coffee b/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
index 7568ac3448..e2a1a5cbcd 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ cp      = require("child_process")
 path    = require("path")
 gulp    = require("gulp")
 human   = require("human-interval")
-konfig  = require("../../packages/server/lib/konfig")
+konfig  = require('../binary/get-config')()
 Promise = require("bluebird")
 meta    = require("./meta")
 la      = require("lazy-ass")
diff --git a/scripts/binary/util/upload.coffee b/scripts/binary/util/upload.coffee
index 8ce77d5f7b..7078e79ba6 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/util/upload.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/util/upload.coffee
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ fs = require("fs")
 os = require("os")
 Promise = require("bluebird")
 {configFromEnvOrJsonFile, filenameToShellVariable} = require('@cypress/env-or-json-file')
-konfig  = require("../../../packages/server/lib/konfig")
+konfig = require('../../binary/get-config')()
 
 formHashFromEnvironment = () ->
   env = process.env
diff --git a/scripts/unit/konfig-spec.js b/scripts/unit/konfig-spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a16074c0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/unit/konfig-spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+const la = require('lazy-ass')
+const is = require('check-more-types')
+const { join } = require('path')
+
+/* eslint-env mocha */
+describe('konfig check', () => {
+  /*
+    script tests should NOT suddenly change the current working directory to
+    packages/server - otherwise the local path filenames might be all wrong
+    and unexpected. The current working directory changes when we
+    require `packages/server/lib/konfig` which in tern requires
+    `lib/cwd` which changes CWD.
+
+    From the scripts unit tests we should not use `lib/konfig` directly,
+    instead we should use `binary/get-config` script to get the konfig function.
+  */
+
+  let cwd
+
+  before(() => {
+    cwd = process.cwd()
+    la(
+      !cwd.includes(join('packages', 'server')),
+      'process CWD is set to',
+      cwd,
+      'for some reason'
+    )
+    // if the above assertion breaks, it means some script in binary scripts
+    // loads "lib/konfig" directly, which unexpectedly changes the CWD.
+  })
+
+  it('does not change CWD on load', () => {
+    const konfig = require('../binary/get-config')()
+    const cwdAfter = process.cwd()
+
+    la(
+      cwd === cwdAfter,
+      'previous cwd',
+      cwd,
+      'differs after loading konfig',
+      cwdAfter
+    )
+    la(is.fn(konfig), 'expected konfig to be a function', konfig)
+  })
+})