diff --git a/contrib/fast-import/git-p4 b/contrib/fast-import/git-p4
index 7fd8bf031e..7d8e74b6dd 100755
--- a/contrib/fast-import/git-p4
+++ b/contrib/fast-import/git-p4
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@ def p4_build_cmd(cmd):
 
 def chdir(dir):
     # P4 uses the PWD environment variable rather than getcwd(). Since we're
-    # not using the shell, we have to set it ourselves.
-    os.environ['PWD']=dir
+    # not using the shell, we have to set it ourselves.  This path could
+    # be relative, so go there first, then figure out where we ended up.
     os.chdir(dir)
+    os.environ['PWD'] = os.getcwd()
 
 def die(msg):
     if verbose:
@@ -1116,6 +1117,10 @@ class P4Submit(Command, P4UserMap):
         print "Perforce checkout for depot path %s located at %s" % (self.depotPath, self.clientPath)
         self.oldWorkingDirectory = os.getcwd()
 
+        # ensure the clientPath exists
+        if not os.path.exists(self.clientPath):
+            os.makedirs(self.clientPath)
+
         chdir(self.clientPath)
         print "Synchronizing p4 checkout..."
         p4_sync("...")
diff --git a/t/t9807-submit.sh b/t/t9807-submit.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2cb724e14c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t9807-submit.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git-p4 submit'
+
+. ./lib-git-p4.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'start p4d' '
+	start_p4d
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'init depot' '
+	(
+		cd "$cli" &&
+		echo file1 >file1 &&
+		p4 add file1 &&
+		p4 submit -d "change 1"
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'submit with no client dir' '
+	test_when_finished cleanup_git &&
+	"$GITP4" clone --dest="$git" //depot &&
+	(
+		cd "$git" &&
+		echo file2 >file2 &&
+		git add file2 &&
+		git commit -m "git commit 2" &&
+		rm -rf "$cli" &&
+		git config git-p4.skipSubmitEdit true &&
+		"$GITP4" submit
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'kill p4d' '
+	kill_p4d
+'
+
+test_done
diff --git a/t/t9808-chdir.sh b/t/t9808-chdir.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..eb8cc9523e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t9808-chdir.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git-p4 relative chdir'
+
+. ./lib-git-p4.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'start p4d' '
+	start_p4d
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'init depot' '
+	(
+		cd "$cli" &&
+		echo file1 >file1 &&
+		p4 add file1 &&
+		p4 submit -d "change 1"
+	)
+'
+
+# P4 reads from P4CONFIG file to find its server params, if the
+# environment variable is set
+test_expect_success 'P4CONFIG and absolute dir clone' '
+	printf "P4PORT=$P4PORT\nP4CLIENT=$P4CLIENT\n" >p4config &&
+	test_when_finished "rm \"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/p4config\"" &&
+	test_when_finished cleanup_git &&
+	(
+		P4CONFIG=p4config && export P4CONFIG &&
+		unset P4PORT P4CLIENT &&
+		"$GITP4" clone --verbose --dest="$git" //depot
+	)
+'
+
+# same thing, but with relative directory name, note missing $ on --dest
+test_expect_success 'P4CONFIG and relative dir clone' '
+	printf "P4PORT=$P4PORT\nP4CLIENT=$P4CLIENT\n" >p4config &&
+	test_when_finished "rm \"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/p4config\"" &&
+	test_when_finished cleanup_git &&
+	(
+		P4CONFIG=p4config && export P4CONFIG &&
+		unset P4PORT P4CLIENT &&
+		"$GITP4" clone --verbose --dest="git" //depot
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'kill p4d' '
+	kill_p4d
+'
+
+test_done