diff --git a/gridded_glm/bin/_make_glm_grids.py b/gridded_glm/bin/_make_glm_grids.py
index 8664408f00efd5d53355807af8f11f163b400fe8..01738bb157eedfcef773d8ce7568160044e4ef9b 100644
--- a/gridded_glm/bin/_make_glm_grids.py
+++ b/gridded_glm/bin/_make_glm_grids.py
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ def create_parser():
                         help='each occurrence increases verbosity 1 level through ERROR-WARNING-INFO-DEBUG (default INFO)')
     parser.add_argument('-l', '--log', dest="log_fn", default=None,
                         help="specify the log filename")
-    parser.add_argument('-o', '--output-dir', metavar='directory',
-                        default='.')
+    parser.add_argument('-o', '--output-dir', metavar='output directory',
+                        default=os.getcwd())
     parser.add_argument('--ctr-lat', metavar='latitude',
                         type=float, help='center latitude')
     parser.add_argument('--ctr-lon', metavar='longitude',
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ def grid_setup(args):
 
     date = datetime(start_time.year, start_time.month, start_time.day)
     os.makedirs(args.output_dir, exist_ok=True)
+    output = os.path.join(args.output_dir, "{dataset_name}") # GLMTools expects a template in addition to the path
     proj_name = 'geos'
 
     if args.goes_position is not None and args.goes_sector is not None:
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ def grid_setup(args):
                        base_date=date, do_3d=False,
                        dx=dx, dy=dy, frame_interval=float(args.dt),
                        x_bnd=x_bnd, y_bnd=y_bnd,
-                       ctr_lat=ctr_lat, ctr_lon=ctr_lon, outpath=args.output_dir,
+                       ctr_lat=ctr_lat, ctr_lon=ctr_lon, outpath=output,
                        min_points_per_flash=min_events,
                        output_writer=output_writer, subdivide=args.subdivide_grid,
                        output_filename_prefix=output_filename_prefix,