diff --git a/.changeset/old-socks-unite.md b/.changeset/old-socks-unite.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6555673f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/old-socks-unite.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@changesets/action": patch
+---
+
+Change directory to `cwd` before running git user setup. This fixes an issue when the action starts its execution not in a git repository.
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 2428f3bc..c1ae29b3 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ const getOptionalInput = (name: string) => core.getInput(name) || undefined;
     return;
   }
 
+  const inputCwd = core.getInput("cwd");
+  if (inputCwd) {
+    console.log("changing directory to the one given as the input");
+    process.chdir(inputCwd);
+  }
+
   let setupGitUser = core.getBooleanInput("setupGitUser");
 
   if (setupGitUser) {
@@ -27,12 +33,6 @@ const getOptionalInput = (name: string) => core.getInput(name) || undefined;
     `machine github.com\nlogin github-actions[bot]\npassword ${githubToken}`
   );
 
-  const inputCwd = core.getInput("cwd");
-  if (inputCwd) {
-    console.log("changing directory to the one given as the input");
-    process.chdir(inputCwd);
-  }
-
   let { changesets } = await readChangesetState();
 
   let publishScript = core.getInput("publish");