diff --git a/src/debugAdapter/goDebug.ts b/src/debugAdapter/goDebug.ts
index 61d7e0d..2d52b32 100644
--- a/src/debugAdapter/goDebug.ts
+++ b/src/debugAdapter/goDebug.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
  *--------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-import { ChildProcess, execFile, spawn } from 'child_process';
+import { ChildProcess, execFile, spawn, spawnSync } from 'child_process';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import { existsSync, lstatSync } from 'fs';
@@ -481,25 +481,68 @@
 				if (!!launchArgs.noDebug) {
 					if (mode === 'debug') {
 						this.noDebug = true;
-						const runArgs = ['run'];
-						const runOptions: { [key: string]: any } = { cwd: dirname, env };
+						const build = ['build'];
+
+						const output = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'out');
+						build.push(`-o=${output}`);
+
+						const buildOptions: { [key: string]: any } = { cwd: dirname, env };
 						if (launchArgs.buildFlags) {
-							runArgs.push(launchArgs.buildFlags);
+							build.push(launchArgs.buildFlags);
 						}
+
 						if (isProgramDirectory) {
-							runArgs.push('.');
+							build.push('.');
 						} else {
-							runArgs.push(program);
-						}
-						if (launchArgs.args) {
-							runArgs.push(...launchArgs.args);
+							build.push(program);
 						}
 
 						const goExe = getBinPathWithPreferredGopathGoroot('go', []);
 						log(`Current working directory: ${dirname}`);
-						log(`Running: ${goExe} ${runArgs.join(' ')}`);
+						log(`Building: ${goExe} ${build.join(' ')}`);
 
-						this.debugProcess = spawn(goExe, runArgs, runOptions);
+						// Use spawnSync to ensure that the binary exists before running it.
+						const buffer = spawnSync(goExe, build, buildOptions);
+						if (buffer.stderr  && buffer.stderr.length > 0) {
+							const str = buffer.stderr.toString();
+							if (this.onstderr) {
+								this.onstderr(str);
+							}
+						}
+						if (buffer.stdout && buffer.stdout.length > 0) {
+							const str = buffer.stdout.toString();
+							if (this.onstdout) {
+								this.onstdout(str);
+							}
+						}
+						if (buffer.status) {
+							logError(`Build process exiting with code: ${buffer.status} signal: ${buffer.signal}`);
+							if (this.onclose) {
+								this.onclose(buffer.status);
+							}
+						} else {
+							log(`Build process exiting normally ${buffer.signal}`);
+						}
+						if (buffer.error) {
+							reject(buffer.error);
+						}
+
+						// Run the built binary
+						let wd = dirname;
+						if (!!launchArgs.cwd) {
+							wd = launchArgs.cwd;
+						}
+						const runOptions: { [key: string]: any } = { cwd: wd, env };
+
+						const run = [];
+						if (launchArgs.args) {
+							run.push(...launchArgs.args);
+						}
+
+						log(`Current working directory: ${wd}`);
+						log(`Running: ${output} ${run.join(' ')}`);
+
+						this.debugProcess = spawn(output, run, runOptions);
 						this.debugProcess.stderr.on('data', (chunk) => {
 							const str = chunk.toString();
 							if (this.onstderr) {
@@ -525,6 +568,7 @@
 						this.debugProcess.on('error', (err) => {
 							reject(err);
 						});
+
 						resolve();
 						return;
 					}
diff --git a/test/integration/goDebug.test.ts b/test/integration/goDebug.test.ts
index a2b862a..08cc650 100644
--- a/test/integration/goDebug.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/goDebug.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import { ChildProcess, spawn } from 'child_process';
+import { debug } from 'console';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import getPort = require('get-port');
 import * as http from 'http';
@@ -568,6 +569,181 @@
 		});
 	});
 
+	suite('set current working directory', () => {
+		test('should debug program with cwd set', async () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest');
+			const FILE = path.join(PROGRAM, 'main.go');
+			const BREAKPOINT_LINE = 11;
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				cwd: WD,
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			await dc.hitBreakpoint(debugConfig, getBreakpointLocation(FILE, BREAKPOINT_LINE));
+
+			await assertVariableValue('strdat', '"Hello, World!"');
+		});
+
+		test('should debug program without cwd set', async () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest');
+			const FILE = path.join(PROGRAM, 'main.go');
+			const BREAKPOINT_LINE = 11;
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			await dc.hitBreakpoint(debugConfig, getBreakpointLocation(FILE, BREAKPOINT_LINE));
+
+			await assertVariableValue('strdat', '"Goodbye, World."');
+		});
+
+		test('should debug file program with cwd set', async () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest', 'main.go');
+			const FILE = PROGRAM;
+			const BREAKPOINT_LINE = 11;
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				cwd: WD,
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			await dc.hitBreakpoint(debugConfig, getBreakpointLocation(FILE, BREAKPOINT_LINE));
+
+			await assertVariableValue('strdat', '"Hello, World!"');
+		});
+
+		test('should debug file program without cwd set', async () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest', 'main.go');
+			const FILE = PROGRAM;
+			const BREAKPOINT_LINE = 11;
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			await dc.hitBreakpoint(debugConfig, getBreakpointLocation(FILE, BREAKPOINT_LINE));
+
+			await assertVariableValue('strdat', '"Goodbye, World."');
+		});
+
+		test('should run program with cwd set (noDebug)', () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest');
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				cwd: WD,
+				noDebug: true
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			return Promise.all([
+				dc.launch(debugConfig),
+				dc.waitForEvent('output').then((event) => {
+					assert.strictEqual(event.body.output, 'Hello, World!\n');
+				})
+			]);
+		});
+
+		test('should run program without cwd set (noDebug)', () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest');
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				noDebug: true
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			return Promise.all([
+				dc.launch(debugConfig),
+				dc.waitForEvent('output').then((event) => {
+					assert.strictEqual(event.body.output, 'Goodbye, World.\n');
+				})
+			]);
+		});
+
+		test('should run file program with cwd set (noDebug)', () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest', 'main.go');
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				cwd: WD,
+				noDebug: true
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			return Promise.all([
+				dc.launch(debugConfig),
+				dc.waitForEvent('output').then((event) => {
+					assert.strictEqual(event.body.output, 'Hello, World!\n');
+				})
+			]);
+		});
+
+		test('should run file program without cwd set (noDebug)', () => {
+			const WD = path.join(DATA_ROOT, 'cwdTest');
+			const PROGRAM = path.join(WD, 'cwdTest', 'main.go');
+
+			const config = {
+				name: 'Launch',
+				type: 'go',
+				request: 'launch',
+				mode: 'auto',
+				program: PROGRAM,
+				noDebug: true
+			};
+			const debugConfig = debugConfigProvider.resolveDebugConfiguration(undefined, config);
+
+			return Promise.all([
+				dc.launch(debugConfig),
+				dc.waitForEvent('output').then((event) => {
+					assert.strictEqual(event.body.output, 'Goodbye, World.\n');
+				})
+			]);
+		});
+
+	});
+
 	suite('remote attach', () => {
 		let childProcess: ChildProcess;
 		let server: number;
diff --git a/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/hello.txt b/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/hello.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d29c4ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/hello.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Goodbye, World.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/main.go b/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..041ce74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/cwdTest/cwdTest/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	dat, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("hello.txt")
+	strdat := string(dat)
+	fmt.Println(strdat)
+}
diff --git a/test/testdata/cwdTest/hello.txt b/test/testdata/cwdTest/hello.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b45ef6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/cwdTest/hello.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hello, World!
\ No newline at end of file