diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bf1ad07..f495bb7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
 
 ##### Bug Fixes
 
-* None.  
+* Use `git -C` rather than `chdir`.  
+  [Danielle Tomlinson](https://github.com/dantoml)
+  [#62](https://github.com/CocoaPods/cocoapods-downloader/pull/62)
 
 
 ## 1.1.1 (2016-08-30)
diff --git a/lib/cocoapods-downloader/git.rb b/lib/cocoapods-downloader/git.rb
index 2013993..9ca5f5c 100644
--- a/lib/cocoapods-downloader/git.rb
+++ b/lib/cocoapods-downloader/git.rb
@@ -13,13 +13,11 @@ def options_specific?
       end
 
       def checkout_options
-        Dir.chdir(target_path) do
-          options = {}
-          options[:git] = url
-          options[:commit] = `git rev-parse HEAD`.chomp
-          options[:submodules] = true if self.options[:submodules]
-          options
-        end
+        options = {}
+        options[:git] = url
+        options[:commit] = target_git('rev-parse', 'HEAD').chomp
+        options[:submodules] = true if self.options[:submodules]
+        options
       end
 
       def self.preprocess_options(options)
@@ -92,9 +90,7 @@ def clone(force_head = false, shallow_clone = true)
 
       def update_submodules
         return unless options[:submodules]
-        Dir.chdir(target_path) do
-          git! %w(submodule update --init --recursive)
-        end
+        target_git %w(submodule update --init --recursive)
       end
 
       # The arguments to pass to `git` to clone the repo.
@@ -128,10 +124,12 @@ def clone_arguments(force_head, shallow_clone)
       # Checks out a specific commit of the cloned repo.
       #
       def checkout_commit
-        Dir.chdir(target_path) do
-          git! 'checkout', '--quiet', options[:commit]
-          update_submodules
-        end
+        target_git 'checkout', '--quiet', options[:commit]
+        update_submodules
+      end
+
+      def target_git(*args)
+        git!(['-C', target_path] + args)
       end
     end
   end