diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 459afd5..b09e447 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ All plugin config fields are strings (agent gRPC `map<string,string>` contract).
 | `policy_labels` | No | JSON map of labels merged into generated evidence labels. |
 | `resource_identity_fields` | No | JSON object mapping Cloud Custodian resource types to ordered identity field paths. Built-in defaults are used after configured fields. Example: `{"aws.ec2":["InstanceId","Arn"]}`. |
 | `debug_dump_payloads` | No | Boolean (`true`/`false`) toggle to write standardized resource payload JSON files for troubleshooting. Default: `false`. |
-| `debug_payload_output_dir` | No | Directory where debug payload JSON files are written. If set, debug dumping is auto-enabled. Default when enabled without explicit path: `debug-standardized-payloads`. |
+| `debug_payload_output_dir` | No | Directory where debug payload JSON files are written. If set, debug dumping is auto-enabled. Default when enabled without explicit path: `ccf-custodian-debug-payloads` under the OS temp directory (`$TMPDIR`, else `/tmp`), e.g. `/tmp/ccf-custodian-debug-payloads`. Use an absolute path: a relative value is still honoured but resolves against the plugin process working directory (which the agent may set per plugin) and logs a warning. The resolved absolute path is logged at `INFO` when dumping is enabled. |
 | `preserve_execution_artifacts` | No | Boolean (`true`/`false`) toggle to keep the temporary Cloud Custodian execution root after a check execution failure for postmortem review. Default: `false`. |
 
 Validation rules:
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 06d0dae..fe95fd5 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func (c *PluginConfig) Parse() (*ParsedConfig, error) {
 		debugDumpPayloads = true
 	}
 	if debugDumpPayloads && debugPayloadOutputDir == "" {
-		debugPayloadOutputDir = "debug-standardized-payloads"
+		debugPayloadOutputDir = defaultDebugPayloadOutputDir()
 	}
 
 	return &ParsedConfig{
@@ -376,6 +376,15 @@ func custodianCachePath() string {
 	return filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "cloud-custodian.cache")
 }
 
+// defaultDebugPayloadOutputDir is where standardized debug payloads are written
+// when dumping is enabled without an explicit debug_payload_output_dir. The CCF
+// agent may run each plugin with its own working directory, so plugins must not
+// create files relative to their cwd; os.TempDir resolves to $TMPDIR or /tmp,
+// which is always an absolute, writable location in the agent deployment.
+func defaultDebugPayloadOutputDir() string {
+	return filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "ccf-custodian-debug-payloads")
+}
+
 func custodianDiagnosticInterval(timeout time.Duration) time.Duration {
 	if timeout <= 0 {
 		return custodianWatchInterval
@@ -2340,11 +2349,20 @@ func (p *CloudCustodianPlugin) Configure(req *proto.ConfigureRequest) (*proto.Co
 	p.checks = checks
 
 	if parsed.DebugDumpPayloads {
+		if !filepath.IsAbs(parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir) {
+			p.Logger.Warn("debug_payload_output_dir is relative and resolves against the plugin process working directory; configure an absolute path",
+				"debug_payload_output_dir", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir,
+			)
+		}
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir, 0o755); err != nil {
 			p.Logger.Error("Failed creating debug payload output directory", "debug_payload_output_dir", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir, "error", err)
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed creating debug payload output directory %q: %w", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir, err)
 		}
-		p.Logger.Debug("Debug payload dumping enabled", "debug_payload_output_dir", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		resolvedDir := parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir
+		if absDir, err := filepath.Abs(resolvedDir); err == nil {
+			resolvedDir = absDir
+		}
+		p.Logger.Info("Debug payload dumping enabled", "debug_payload_output_dir", resolvedDir)
 	}
 
 	if p.executor == nil {
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index fbcd891..f51f328 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -238,6 +238,132 @@ func TestPluginConfigParse(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected debug output dir: %s", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("default debug output dir is absolute under os.TempDir", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Setenv("TMPDIR", t.TempDir())
+		cfg := &PluginConfig{
+			PoliciesYAML:      "policies: []",
+			DebugDumpPayloads: "true",
+		}
+		parsed, err := cfg.Parse()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !filepath.IsAbs(parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected absolute default debug output dir, got %q", parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+		if parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir != filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "ccf-custodian-debug-payloads") {
+			t.Fatalf("expected default debug output dir under os.TempDir %q, got %q", os.TempDir(), parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("no debug output dir when dumping disabled", func(t *testing.T) {
+		parsed, err := (&PluginConfig{PoliciesYAML: "policies: []"}).Parse()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if parsed.DebugDumpPayloads || parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir != "" {
+			t.Fatalf("expected debug dumping disabled with no dir, got %v %q", parsed.DebugDumpPayloads, parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("relative debug output dir is kept as configured", func(t *testing.T) {
+		parsed, err := (&PluginConfig{
+			PoliciesYAML:          "policies: []",
+			DebugPayloadOutputDir: "relative-debug-dir",
+		}).Parse()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !parsed.DebugDumpPayloads || parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir != "relative-debug-dir" {
+			t.Fatalf("expected relative debug output dir to be honoured, got %v %q", parsed.DebugDumpPayloads, parsed.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func TestConfigureDebugPayloadOutputDir(t *testing.T) {
+	stubLookPath(t, func(binary string) (string, error) {
+		return "/usr/local/bin/" + binary, nil
+	})
+
+	configure := func(t *testing.T, extra map[string]string) (*CloudCustodianPlugin, string) {
+		t.Helper()
+		var logs bytes.Buffer
+		plugin := &CloudCustodianPlugin{Logger: hclog.New(&hclog.LoggerOptions{
+			Name:   "test",
+			Level:  hclog.Info,
+			Output: &logs,
+		})}
+		config := map[string]string{"policies_yaml": "policies:\n  - name: s3-check\n    resource: aws.s3"}
+		for k, v := range extra {
+			config[k] = v
+		}
+		if _, err := plugin.Configure(&proto.ConfigureRequest{Config: config}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected configure error: %v", err)
+		}
+		return plugin, logs.String()
+	}
+
+	t.Run("default dir is created under os.TempDir without warning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Setenv("TMPDIR", t.TempDir())
+		cwd := t.TempDir()
+		t.Chdir(cwd)
+
+		plugin, logs := configure(t, map[string]string{"debug_dump_payloads": "true"})
+		want := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "ccf-custodian-debug-payloads")
+		if plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir != want {
+			t.Fatalf("expected default dir %q, got %q", want, plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+		if info, err := os.Stat(want); err != nil || !info.IsDir() {
+			t.Fatalf("expected default debug dir to be created at %q: %v", want, err)
+		}
+		if entries, err := os.ReadDir(cwd); err != nil || len(entries) != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected nothing created in the working directory, got %v (err %v)", entries, err)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(logs, "[WARN]") {
+			t.Fatalf("expected no warning for default dir, got %q", logs)
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(logs, "Debug payload dumping enabled") || !strings.Contains(logs, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected resolved debug dir to be logged, got %q", logs)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("explicit absolute dir is kept without warning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "abs-debug")
+		plugin, logs := configure(t, map[string]string{"debug_payload_output_dir": dir})
+		if plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir != dir {
+			t.Fatalf("expected configured dir %q, got %q", dir, plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected configured dir to be created: %v", err)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(logs, "[WARN]") {
+			t.Fatalf("expected no warning for absolute dir, got %q", logs)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("explicit relative dir is honoured with a warning", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cwd := t.TempDir()
+		t.Chdir(cwd)
+
+		plugin, logs := configure(t, map[string]string{"debug_payload_output_dir": "relative-debug"})
+		if plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir != "relative-debug" {
+			t.Fatalf("expected relative dir to be kept, got %q", plugin.parsedConfig.DebugPayloadOutputDir)
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(cwd, "relative-debug")); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected relative dir to be created under the working directory: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(logs, "[WARN]") || !strings.Contains(logs, "debug_payload_output_dir is relative") {
+			t.Fatalf("expected relative dir warning, got %q", logs)
+		}
+		resolved, err := filepath.Abs("relative-debug")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("abs: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(logs, resolved) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected resolved absolute dir %q to be logged, got %q", resolved, logs)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestResolvePoliciesYAML(t *testing.T) {