diff --git a/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Hidden/Add/Package/AddPackageCommandParser.cs b/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Hidden/Add/Package/AddPackageCommandParser.cs
index 88ea4685b511..af20dc4de922 100644
--- a/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Hidden/Add/Package/AddPackageCommandParser.cs
+++ b/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Hidden/Add/Package/AddPackageCommandParser.cs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ private static Command ConstructCommand()
             }
             else
             {
-                return new PackageAddCommand(parseResult, parseResult.GetValue(AddCommandParser.ProjectArgument)).Execute();
+                return new PackageAddCommand(parseResult, parseResult.GetValue(AddCommandParser.ProjectArgument) ?? Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()).Execute();
             }
         });
 
diff --git a/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Reference/List/ReferenceListCommand.cs b/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Reference/List/ReferenceListCommand.cs
index 9072c06acaba..97a3dcdb1eb2 100644
--- a/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Reference/List/ReferenceListCommand.cs
+++ b/src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Reference/List/ReferenceListCommand.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ public ReferenceListCommand(
 
         _fileOrDirectory = parseResult.HasOption(ReferenceCommandParser.ProjectOption) ?
             parseResult.GetValue(ReferenceCommandParser.ProjectOption) :
-            parseResult.GetValue(ListCommandParser.SlnOrProjectArgument);
+            parseResult.GetValue(ListCommandParser.SlnOrProjectArgument) ??
+            Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
     }
 
     public override int Execute()