diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/FileContext.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/FileContext.py
index 5344f466..4fad41e7 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/FileContext.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/FileContext.py
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ from .base import Input, InputMode, Result, StatResult
 
 class FileContext(abc.ABC):
 
-    def __init__(self, uri: str, interactive: bool|None=None, verbose_default=False):
+    def __init__(self, uri: str, interactive: bool|None=None, verbose_default=False, chroot: bool=False):
         self.__uri = uri
         self.__id, self.__root = self.split_uri(uri)
+        self.__chroot = chroot
         self.__interactive = interactive
         self.__verbose_default = verbose_default
         self.__log_name: str|None = None
@@ -28,6 +29,15 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
     async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb):
         await self.close()
 
+    def _chroot(self, path: str) -> str:
+        if not self.__chroot:
+            return path
+        if not len(path):
+            return self.__root
+        if path[-1] == '/':
+            return self.__root + path
+        return self.__root + '/' + path
+
     @classmethod
     def schema_from_uri(cls, uri: str) -> str:
         tokens = re.split(r'://', uri)
@@ -98,7 +108,7 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
         group: str|None=None,
         mode: str|None=None,
     ) -> Result:
-        return await self._get(path, wd=wd, throw=throw, verbose=verbose, title=title)
+        return await self._get(self._chroot(path), wd=wd, throw=throw, verbose=verbose, title=title)
 
     async def _put(
         self,
@@ -129,20 +139,20 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
         atomic: bool = False
     ) -> Result:
         mode_str = None if mode is None else oct(mode).replace('0o', '0')
-        return await self._put(path, content, wd=wd, throw=throw, verbose=verbose,
+        return await self._put(self._chroot(path), content, wd=wd, throw=throw, verbose=verbose,
                                title=title, owner=owner, group=group, mode=mode_str, atomic=atomic)
 
     async def _unlink(self, path: str) -> None:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: unlink("{path}") is not implemented')
 
     async def unlink(self, path: str) -> None:
-        return await self._unlink(path)
+        return await self._unlink(self._chroot(path))
 
     async def _erase(self, path: str) -> None:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: erase("{path}") is not implemented')
 
     async def erase(self, path: str) -> None:
-        return await self._erase(path)
+        return await self._erase(self._chroot(path))
 
     async def _rename(self, src: str, dst: str) -> None:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: rename("{path}") is not implemented')
@@ -154,7 +164,7 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: mktemp("{path}") is not implemented')
 
     async def mktemp(self, tmpl: str, directory: bool=False) -> None:
-        return await self._mktemp(tmpl, directory)
+        return await self._mktemp(_chroot(tmpl), directory)
 
     async def _chown(self, path: str, owner: str|None, group: str|None) -> None:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: chown("{path}") is not implemented')
@@ -162,13 +172,13 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
     async def chown(self, path: str, owner: str|None=None, group: str|None=None) -> None:
         if owner is None and group is None:
             raise ValueError(f'Tried to change ownership of {path} specifying neither owner nor group')
-        return await self._chown(path, owner, group)
+        return await self._chown(self._chroot(path), owner, group)
 
     async def _chmod(self, path: str, mode: int) -> None:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: chmod("{path}") is not implemented')
 
     async def chmod(self, path: str, mode: int) -> None:
-        return await self._chmod(path, mode)
+        return await self._chmod(self._chroot(path), mode)
 
     async def _stat(self, path: str, follow_symlinks: bool) -> StatResult:
         raise NotImplementedError(f'{self.log_name}: lstat("{path}") is not implemented')
@@ -176,7 +186,7 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
     async def stat(self, path: str, follow_symlinks: bool=True) -> StatResult:
         if not isinstance(path, str):
             raise TypeError(f"path must be str, got {type(path).__name__}")
-        return await self._stat(path, follow_symlinks)
+        return await self._stat(self._chroot(path), follow_symlinks)
 
     async def _file_exists(self, path: str) -> bool:
         try:
@@ -190,7 +200,7 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
         return True
 
     async def file_exists(self, path: str) -> bool:
-        return await self._file_exists(path)
+        return await self._file_exists(self._chroot(path))
 
     async def _is_dir(self, path: str) -> bool:
         try:
@@ -207,9 +217,7 @@ class FileContext(abc.ABC):
         return False
 
     async def is_dir(self, path: str) -> bool:
-        if not path:
-            raise ValueError('Tried to investigate file system resource with empty path')
-        return self._is_dir(path)
+        return self._is_dir(self._chroot(path))
 
     async def _close(self) -> None:
         pass