diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
index 47606d5f..55a7598d 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
@@ -414,8 +414,6 @@ def restart(ctx, stack_path, spec_file, config_file, force, expected_ip, image):
         network_dir=None,
         initial_peers=None,
     )
-    os.chdir(prev_cwd)
-
     # Reload deployment context with updated spec
     deployment_context.init(deployment_context.deployment_dir)
     ctx.obj = deployment_context
@@ -443,6 +441,10 @@ def restart(ctx, stack_path, spec_file, config_file, force, expected_ip, image):
             image_overrides=image_overrides or None,
         )
 
+    # Restore cwd after both create_operation and up_operation have run.
+    # Both need the relative stack path to resolve from repo_root.
+    os.chdir(prev_cwd)
+
     print("\n=== Restart Complete ===")
     print("Deployment updated via rolling update.")
     if new_hostname and new_hostname != current_hostname:
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
index b03b12ca..725bf21f 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
@@ -272,19 +272,7 @@ def call_stack_deploy_start(deployment_context):
     create additional k8s resources (Services, etc.) in the deployment namespace.
     The namespace can be derived as f"laconic-{deployment_context.id}".
     """
-    try:
-        python_file_paths = _commands_plugin_paths(deployment_context.stack.name)
-    except SystemExit:
-        # Stack path may not resolve from current cwd (e.g. during restart
-        # when cwd isn't the repo root). get_parsed_stack_config calls
-        # error_exit (sys.exit) when the stack directory doesn't exist.
-        # Most stacks don't have deploy hooks, so this is non-fatal.
-        if opts.o.debug:
-            print(
-                f"Could not resolve plugin paths for stack"
-                f" {deployment_context.stack.name}, skipping hooks"
-            )
-        return
+    python_file_paths = _commands_plugin_paths(deployment_context.stack.name)
     for python_file_path in python_file_paths:
         if python_file_path.exists():
             spec = util.spec_from_file_location("commands", python_file_path)