diff --git a/bin/is b/bin/is
index 1972768003b9f3581921c912789393c410f4940d..9ec7b2a315af1202252997ca0b1226fabcda2c7c 100755
--- a/bin/is
+++ b/bin/is
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ def c_build(args):
     '''
     for path in args.paths:
         arrow("Build %s" % path)
+        # chdir inside path if --chdir
+        if args.chdir:
+            cwd = os.getcwdu()
+            os.chdir(path)
+            path = "."
         arrowlevel(1)
         # build start time
         t0 = time.time()
@@ -119,6 +124,8 @@ def c_build(args):
         t1 = time.time()
         dt = int(t1 - t0)
         arrow(u"Build time: %s" % datetime.timedelta(seconds=dt))
+        if args.chdir:
+            os.chdir(cwd)
         arrowlevel(-1)
 
 def c_cat(args):
@@ -456,6 +463,8 @@ def arg_parser_init():
     p = subparser.add_parser("build", help=c_build.__doc__.lower())
     p.add_argument("-c", "--no-check", action="store_true",
                    help="do not check compilation before adding scripts")
+    p.add_argument("-C", "--chdir", action="store_true",
+                   help="build image inside source image directory, not in current directory")
     p.add_argument("-f", "--force", action="store_true",
                    help="rebuild image if already exists")
     p.add_argument("-p", "--payload", action="store_true",
diff --git a/completion/bash/is b/completion/bash/is
index 6c78454c57bcbe89a167fad648c1147782bfe63b..926ee76dc7bc2025e15f7927a9591abaaf37231c 100644
--- a/completion/bash/is
+++ b/completion/bash/is
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ _is() {
          (( args > 2 )) && _filedir '?(u)isimage'
       ;;
       build)
-         [[ "$cur" == -* ]] && _opt '-h --help -f --force -p --payload -c --no-check -s --no-script' && return 0
+         [[ "$cur" == -* ]] && _opt '-h --help -f --force -p --payload -c --no-check -s --no-script -C --chdir' && return 0
          _count_args
          (( args >= 2 )) && _filedir -d
       ;;
diff --git a/completion/zsh/_installsystems b/completion/zsh/_installsystems
index 4f225758ace5542f80b8045c5e28e969a0616566..54455e5df31e1da5a262ee4362fd2e8d275e9d4e 100644
--- a/completion/zsh/_installsystems
+++ b/completion/zsh/_installsystems
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ _is() {
                     (build)
                         args+=(
                         '(-c --no-check)'{-c,--no-check}'[do not check compilation before adding scripts]'
+                        '(-C --chdir)'{-C,--chdir}'[build image inside source image directory]'
                         '(-f --force)'{-f,--force}'[rebuild image if already exists]'
                         '(-p --payload)'{-p,--payload}'[rebuild payloads if already exists]'
                         '(-s --no-script)'{-s,--no-script}"[doesn't execute build script]"