diff --git a/.changeset/green-ads-live.md b/.changeset/green-ads-live.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab79ea16e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/green-ads-live.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@hyperlane-xyz/cli": minor
+---
+
+Default to home directory for local registry
diff --git a/typescript/cli/src/commands/options.ts b/typescript/cli/src/commands/options.ts
index 1d5317656..465abb09e 100644
--- a/typescript/cli/src/commands/options.ts
+++ b/typescript/cli/src/commands/options.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os from 'os';
 import { Options } from 'yargs';
 
 import { DEFAULT_GITHUB_REGISTRY } from '@hyperlane-xyz/registry';
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ export const registryUriCommandOption: Options = {
 export const overrideRegistryUriCommandOption: Options = {
   type: 'string',
   description: 'Path to a local registry to override the default registry',
-  default: './',
+  default: `${os.homedir()}/.hyperlane`,
 };
 
 export const skipConfirmationOption: Options = {