diff --git a/src/paradoc/document.py b/src/paradoc/document.py
index e82d590..9fea5b7 100644
--- a/src/paradoc/document.py
+++ b/src/paradoc/document.py
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ def __init__(
         clean_build_dir=True,
         create_dirs=False,
         output_dir=None,
-        work_dir=None,
+        work_dir="temp",
         use_default_html_style=True,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         self.source_dir = pathlib.Path().resolve().absolute() if source_dir is None else pathlib.Path(source_dir)
-        self.work_dir = pathlib.Path(work_dir).resolve().absolute() if work_dir is not None else pathlib.Path("")
+        self.work_dir = pathlib.Path(work_dir).resolve().absolute()
         self.work_dir = self.work_dir.resolve().absolute()
 
         self._main_prefix = main_prefix
@@ -300,11 +300,11 @@ def app_dir(self):
 
     @property
     def build_dir(self):
-        return self.work_dir / "temp" / "_build"
+        return self.work_dir / "_build"
 
     @property
     def dist_dir(self):
-        return self.work_dir / "temp" / "_dist"
+        return self.work_dir / "_dist"
 
     @property
     def output_dir(self):
diff --git a/tests/base_doc/test_table_of_contents.py b/tests/base_doc/test_table_of_contents.py
index 4f0bbbb..2b36a2e 100644
--- a/tests/base_doc/test_table_of_contents.py
+++ b/tests/base_doc/test_table_of_contents.py
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
+import pytest
+
 from paradoc import MY_DOCX_TMPL_BLANK, OneDoc
 
 
-def test_no_toc(test_dir):
-    o = OneDoc("temp/no_toc", work_dir=test_dir, create_dirs=True)
+@pytest.fixture
+def test_output_dir(test_dir):
+    return test_dir / "toc"
+
+
+def test_no_toc(test_output_dir):
+    o = OneDoc("temp/no_toc", work_dir=test_output_dir / "no_toc", create_dirs=True)
     o.compile("no_toc", main_tmpl=MY_DOCX_TMPL_BLANK)
 
 
-def test_just_toc_has_toc(test_dir):
-    o = OneDoc("temp/just_toc", work_dir=test_dir, create_dirs=True)
+def test_just_toc_has_toc(test_output_dir):
+    o = OneDoc("temp/just_toc", work_dir=test_output_dir / "just_toc", create_dirs=True)
     o.compile("just_toc")
 
 
-def test_has_toc(test_dir, files_dir):
-    o = OneDoc(files_dir / "toc", work_dir=test_dir, create_dirs=True)
+def test_has_toc(test_output_dir, files_dir):
+    o = OneDoc(files_dir / "toc", work_dir=test_output_dir / "has_toc", create_dirs=True)
     o.compile("heading_toc_just_toc")