diff --git a/vite-plugin-ssr/cli/bin.node.ts b/vite-plugin-ssr/cli/bin.node.ts
index b6b578cdebc..862b33c81cf 100644
--- a/vite-plugin-ssr/cli/bin.node.ts
+++ b/vite-plugin-ssr/cli/bin.node.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { cac } from 'cac'
+import { resolve } from 'path'
 import { prerender } from '../prerender'
 import { projectInfo } from '../utils'
 
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ cli
   .option('--client-router', 'serialize `pageContext` to JSON files for Client-side Routing')
   .option('--base <path>', `[string] public base path (default: /)`)
   .action(async (options) => {
-    const { partial, extraDir, clientRouter, base, root } = options
+    const { partial, extraDir, clientRouter, base } = options
+    const root = resolve(options.root)
     const noExtraDir = !extraDir
     await prerender({ partial, noExtraDir, clientRouter, base, root })
   })
diff --git a/vite-plugin-ssr/prerender.ts b/vite-plugin-ssr/prerender.ts
index 580e485401d..967ef69a625 100644
--- a/vite-plugin-ssr/prerender.ts
+++ b/vite-plugin-ssr/prerender.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import './page-files/setup.node'
 import fs from 'fs'
 const { writeFile, mkdir } = fs.promises
-import { join, sep, dirname } from 'path'
+import { join, sep, dirname, isAbsolute } from 'path'
 import { getFilesystemRoute, getPageIds, isErrorPage, isStaticRoute, loadPageRoutes, route } from './route.shared'
 import { assert, assertUsage, assertWarning, hasProp, getFileUrl, isPlainObject, castProp, projectInfo } from './utils'
 import { moduleExists } from './utils/moduleExists'
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ async function prerender({
   clientRouter?: boolean
   base?: string
 } = {}) {
-  assertArguments(partial, noExtraDir, clientRouter, base)
+  assertArguments(partial, noExtraDir, clientRouter, base, root)
   console.log(`${cyan(`vite-plugin-ssr ${projectInfo.version}`)} ${green('pre-rendering HTML...')}`)
 
   const { pluginManifest, pluginManifestPath } = getPluginManifest(root)
@@ -319,9 +319,11 @@ function getPluginManifest(root: string): {
   return { pluginManifest, pluginManifestPath }
 }
 
-function assertArguments(partial: unknown, noExtraDir: unknown, clientRouter: unknown, base: unknown) {
+function assertArguments(partial: unknown, noExtraDir: unknown, clientRouter: unknown, base: unknown, root: unknown) {
   assertUsage(partial === true || partial === false, '[prerender()] Option `partial` should be a boolean.')
   assertUsage(noExtraDir === true || noExtraDir === false, '[prerender()] Option `noExtraDir` should be a boolean.')
   assertWarning(clientRouter === false, '[prerender()] Option `clientRouter` is deprecated and has no-effect.')
   assertWarning(base === undefined, '[prerender()] Option `base` is deprecated and has no-effect.')
+  assertUsage(typeof root === 'string', '[prerender()] Option `root` should be a string.')
+  assertUsage(isAbsolute(root), '[prerender()] The path `root` is not absolute. Make sure to provide an absolute path.')
 }