diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7d8150e..1f06cce 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Changelog
 
 * next
   * Default to Clojure 1.11.2 in root deps.edn
-  * Fix bug in TDEPS-256 change for :project using relative dirs
+  * Add :dir option to create-basis to change relative directory for basis creation
 * 0.18.1398 on Jan 4, 2023
   * Fix function spec typo
 * 0.18.1394 on Dec 29, 2023
diff --git a/src/main/clojure/clojure/tools/deps.clj b/src/main/clojure/clojure/tools/deps.clj
index 35f6eb5..10359da 100644
--- a/src/main/clojure/clojure/tools/deps.clj
+++ b/src/main/clojure/clojure/tools/deps.clj
@@ -787,19 +787,6 @@
       project-edn (assoc :project project-edn)
       extra-edn (assoc :extra extra-edn))))
 
-(defmacro ^:private in-project-dir
-  "If project deps.edn is not in the current dir, push project directory
-  into current directory context while creating basis. Local deps use paths
-  relative to project dir. Use anaphoric 'assumed-project in body."
-  [project-deps & body]
-  `(if (and (instance? String ~project-deps)
-        (not (.equals dir/*the-dir* (.getParentFile (jio/file ~project-deps)))))
-     (dir/with-dir (.getParentFile (jio/file ~project-deps))
-       (let [~'assumed-project (.getName (jio/file ~project-deps))]
-         ~@body))
-     (let [~'assumed-project ~project-deps]
-       ~@body)))
-
 (defn create-basis
   "Create a basis from a set of deps sources and a set of aliases. By default, use
    root, user, and project deps and no argmaps (essentially the same classpath you get by
@@ -812,9 +799,10 @@
    subprocesses (tool, resolve-deps, make-classpath-map).
 
    Options:
+     :dir     - directory root path, defaults to current directory
      :root    - dep source, default = :standard
      :user    - dep source, default = :standard
-     :project - dep source, default = :standard (\"./deps.edn\")
+     :project - dep source, default = :standard (\"deps.edn\")
      :extra   - dep source, default = nil
      :aliases - coll of aliases, default = nil
 
@@ -834,12 +822,9 @@
     :libs - lib map, per resolve-deps
     :classpath - classpath map per make-classpath-map
     :classpath-roots - vector of paths in classpath order"
-  [{:keys [root user project extra aliases] :as params}]
-  (in-project-dir project
-    (let [project assumed-project ;; use anaphoric for project deps in context of project dir
-          params (cond-> params (contains? params :project) (assoc :project project))
-
-          basis-config (cond-> nil
+  [{:keys [dir root user project extra aliases] :as params}]
+  (dir/with-dir (jio/file (or dir "."))
+    (let [basis-config (cond-> nil
                          (contains? params :root) (assoc :root root)
                          (contains? params :project) (assoc :project project)
                          (contains? params :user) (assoc :user user)
diff --git a/src/test/clojure/clojure/tools/deps/test_deps.clj b/src/test/clojure/clojure/tools/deps/test_deps.clj
index e29746c..3171afc 100644
--- a/src/test/clojure/clojure/tools/deps/test_deps.clj
+++ b/src/test/clojure/clojure/tools/deps/test_deps.clj
@@ -288,13 +288,14 @@
     (let [base (.getCanonicalFile *test-dir*)
           adeps (.getPath (jio/file base "a/deps.edn"))
           bdeps (.getPath (jio/file base "b/deps.edn"))
+          adir (.getAbsolutePath (jio/file base "a"))
           bdir (.getAbsolutePath (jio/file base "b"))]
       (jio/make-parents *test-dir* "a/deps.edn")
       (jio/make-parents *test-dir* "b/deps.edn")
       (spit adeps "{:deps {b/b {:local/root \"../b\"}}}")
       (spit bdeps "{:paths [\"src\"]}")
-      (let [b (deps/create-basis {:user nil :project adeps})]
-        (is (contains? (:classpath b) (.getAbsolutePath (jio/file bdir "src"))))))))
+      (let [abasis (deps/create-basis {:user nil :dir adir})]
+        (is (contains? (:classpath abasis) (.getAbsolutePath (jio/file bdir "src"))))))))
 
 (deftest empty-nil-deps-is-valid
   (testing "file exists but is empty (nil)"
@@ -513,6 +514,14 @@
        :basis-config {:root nil, :user nil, :aliases [:a1 :a2]} ;; aliases remembered
        })))
 
+(deftest test-project-deps-doesnt-exist
+  (is (= "BOGUS.edn" (-> (deps/create-basis {:user nil :project "BOGUS.edn"})
+                       :basis-config :project)))
+  (is (= "BOGUS.edn" (-> (deps/create-basis {:user nil :dir "foo" :project "BOGUS.edn"})
+                           :basis-config :project)))
+  (is (= "foo/BOGUS.edn" (-> (deps/create-basis {:user nil :project "foo/BOGUS.edn"})
+                       :basis-config :project))))
+
 (deftest test-resolved-added-libs
   (let [basis (deps/create-basis {:user nil :project nil})
         libs (:libs basis)]