diff --git a/cspell.json b/cspell.json
index de712fb0a04..c7ad22afa96 100644
--- a/cspell.json
+++ b/cspell.json
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@
         "envrc",
         "EXPONENTIATE",
         "Flamegraph",
+        "flamegraphs",
         "flate",
         "fmtstr",
         "foldl",
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@
         "impls",
         "indexmap",
         "injective",
+        "interners",
         "Inlines",
         "instrumenter",
         "interner",
@@ -227,6 +229,7 @@
         "tempdir",
         "tempfile",
         "termcolor",
+        "termion",
         "thiserror",
         "tslog",
         "turbofish",
diff --git a/tooling/lsp/src/lib.rs b/tooling/lsp/src/lib.rs
index f8a4bd6b74a..c722bfdfd3e 100644
--- a/tooling/lsp/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tooling/lsp/src/lib.rs
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ pub(crate) fn resolve_workspace_for_source_path(file_path: &Path) -> Result<Work
         members: vec![assumed_package],
         selected_package_index: Some(0),
         is_assumed: true,
+        target_dir: None,
     };
     Ok(workspace)
 }
diff --git a/tooling/lsp/src/requests/mod.rs b/tooling/lsp/src/requests/mod.rs
index 334599e8f3d..7bc510a2f6c 100644
--- a/tooling/lsp/src/requests/mod.rs
+++ b/tooling/lsp/src/requests/mod.rs
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ pub(crate) fn find_all_references_in_workspace(
             ));
         }
 
-        // The LSP client usually removes duplicate loctions, but we do it here just in case they don't
+        // The LSP client usually removes duplicate locations, but we do it here just in case they don't
         locations.sort_by_key(|location| {
             (
                 location.uri.to_string(),
diff --git a/tooling/nargo/src/workspace.rs b/tooling/nargo/src/workspace.rs
index 37b3ded315d..2a6669aabdc 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo/src/workspace.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ use crate::{
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Workspace {
     pub root_dir: PathBuf,
+    /// Optional target directory override.
+    pub target_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
     pub members: Vec<Package>,
     // If `Some()`, the `selected_package_index` is used to select the only `Package` when iterating a Workspace
     pub selected_package_index: Option<usize>,
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ impl Workspace {
     }
 
     pub fn target_directory_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
-        self.root_dir.join(TARGET_DIR)
+        self.target_dir.as_ref().cloned().unwrap_or_else(|| self.root_dir.join(TARGET_DIR))
     }
 
     pub fn export_directory_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs b/tooling/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs
index e43e498ea06..0722e957833 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo_cli/benches/criterion.rs
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ fn criterion_test_execution(c: &mut Criterion, test_program_dir: &Path, force_br
     });
 }
 
-/// Go through all the selected tests and executem with and without Brillig.
+/// Go through all the selected tests and execute them with and without Brillig.
 fn criterion_selected_tests_execution(c: &mut Criterion) {
     for test_program_dir in get_selected_tests() {
         for force_brillig in [false, true] {
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/mod.rs b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/mod.rs
index efc6a351e33..1d59fdb806f 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -56,8 +56,12 @@ struct NargoCli {
 #[derive(Args, Clone, Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct NargoConfig {
     // REMINDER: Also change this flag in the LSP test lens if renamed
-    #[arg(long, hide = true, global = true, default_value = "./")]
+    #[arg(long, hide = true, global = true, default_value = "./", value_parser = parse_path)]
     program_dir: PathBuf,
+
+    /// Override the default target directory.
+    #[arg(long, hide = true, global = true, value_parser = parse_path)]
+    target_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 /// Options for commands that work on either workspace or package scope.
@@ -130,14 +134,7 @@ enum LockType {
 #[cfg(not(feature = "codegen-docs"))]
 #[tracing::instrument(level = "trace")]
 pub(crate) fn start_cli() -> eyre::Result<()> {
-    use fm::NormalizePath;
-
-    let NargoCli { command, mut config } = NargoCli::parse();
-
-    // If the provided `program_dir` is relative, make it absolute by joining it to the current directory.
-    if !config.program_dir.is_absolute() {
-        config.program_dir = std::env::current_dir().unwrap().join(config.program_dir).normalize();
-    }
+    let NargoCli { command, config } = NargoCli::parse();
 
     match command {
         NargoCommand::New(args) => new_cmd::run(args, config),
@@ -194,14 +191,17 @@ where
     // or a specific package; if that's the case then parse the package name to select it in the workspace.
     let selection = match cmd.package_selection() {
         PackageSelection::DefaultOrAll if workspace_dir != package_dir => {
-            let workspace = read_workspace(&package_dir, PackageSelection::DefaultOrAll)?;
-            let package = workspace.into_iter().next().expect("there should be exactly 1 package");
+            let package = read_workspace(&package_dir, PackageSelection::DefaultOrAll)?;
+            let package = package.into_iter().next().expect("there should be exactly 1 package");
             PackageSelection::Selected(package.name.clone())
         }
         other => other,
     };
     // Parse the top level workspace with the member selected.
-    let workspace = read_workspace(&workspace_dir, selection)?;
+    let mut workspace = read_workspace(&workspace_dir, selection)?;
+    // Optionally override the target directory. It's only done here because most commands like the LSP and DAP
+    // don't read or write artifacts, so they don't use the target directory.
+    workspace.target_dir = config.target_dir.clone();
     // Lock manifests if the command needs it.
     let _locks = match cmd.lock_type() {
         LockType::None => None,
@@ -249,13 +249,25 @@ fn lock_workspace(workspace: &Workspace, exclusive: bool) -> Result<Vec<impl Dro
     Ok(locks)
 }
 
+/// Parses a path and turns it into an absolute one by joining to the current directory.
+fn parse_path(path: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
+    use fm::NormalizePath;
+    let mut path: PathBuf = path.parse().map_err(|e| format!("failed to parse path: {e}"))?;
+    if !path.is_absolute() {
+        path = std::env::current_dir().unwrap().join(path).normalize();
+    }
+    Ok(path)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use super::NargoCli;
     use clap::Parser;
+
     #[test]
     fn test_parse_invalid_expression_width() {
         let cmd = "nargo --program-dir . compile --expression-width 1";
-        let res = super::NargoCli::try_parse_from(cmd.split_ascii_whitespace());
+        let res = NargoCli::try_parse_from(cmd.split_ascii_whitespace());
 
         let err = res.expect_err("should fail because of invalid width");
         assert!(err.to_string().contains("expression-width"));
@@ -263,4 +275,18 @@ mod tests {
             .to_string()
             .contains(acvm::compiler::MIN_EXPRESSION_WIDTH.to_string().as_str()));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_target_dir() {
+        let cmd = "nargo --program-dir . --target-dir ../foo/bar execute";
+        let cli = NargoCli::try_parse_from(cmd.split_ascii_whitespace()).expect("should parse");
+
+        let target_dir = cli.config.target_dir.expect("should parse target dir");
+        assert!(target_dir.is_absolute(), "should be made absolute");
+        assert!(target_dir.ends_with("foo/bar"));
+
+        let cmd = "nargo --program-dir . execute";
+        let cli = NargoCli::try_parse_from(cmd.split_ascii_whitespace()).expect("should parse");
+        assert!(cli.config.target_dir.is_none());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_toml/src/lib.rs b/tooling/nargo_toml/src/lib.rs
index 59bee569430..edf26411cf5 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo_toml/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo_toml/src/lib.rs
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ fn toml_to_workspace(
                     selected_package_index: Some(0),
                     members: vec![member],
                     is_assumed: false,
+                    target_dir: None,
                 },
             }
         }
@@ -448,6 +449,7 @@ fn toml_to_workspace(
                 members,
                 selected_package_index,
                 is_assumed: false,
+                target_dir: None,
             }
         }
     };
@@ -514,6 +516,8 @@ pub enum PackageSelection {
 }
 
 /// Resolves a Nargo.toml file into a `Workspace` struct as defined by our `nargo` core.
+///
+/// As a side effect it downloads project dependencies as well.
 pub fn resolve_workspace_from_toml(
     toml_path: &Path,
     package_selection: PackageSelection,
@@ -521,7 +525,6 @@ pub fn resolve_workspace_from_toml(
 ) -> Result<Workspace, ManifestError> {
     let nargo_toml = read_toml(toml_path)?;
     let workspace = toml_to_workspace(nargo_toml, package_selection)?;
-
     if let Some(current_compiler_version) = current_compiler_version {
         semver::semver_check_workspace(&workspace, current_compiler_version)?;
     }