diff --git a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ArgumentProcessor.java b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ArgumentProcessor.java
index f435f114..ab8a4489 100644
--- a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ArgumentProcessor.java
+++ b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ArgumentProcessor.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.kohsuke.args4j.CmdLineParser;
 
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.Analytics;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.MediaTypes;
+import net.sourceforge.filebot.StandardRenameAction;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.cli.ScriptShell.Script;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.cli.ScriptShell.ScriptProvider;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.web.CachedResource;
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ public class ArgumentProcessor {
 				}
 				
 				if (args.rename) {
-					cli.rename(files, args.action, args.conflict, args.output, args.format, args.db, args.query, args.order, args.filter, args.lang, !args.nonStrict);
+					cli.rename(files, StandardRenameAction.forName(args.action), args.conflict, args.output, args.format, args.db, args.query, args.order, args.filter, args.lang, !args.nonStrict);
 				}
 				
 				if (args.check) {
diff --git a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineInterface.java b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineInterface.java
index d80ce2db..59986f3e 100644
--- a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineInterface.java
+++ b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineInterface.java
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import net.sourceforge.filebot.RenameAction;
+
 
 public interface CmdlineInterface {
 	
-	List<File> rename(Collection<File> files, String action, String conflict, String output, String format, String db, String query, String sortOrder, String filter, String lang, boolean strict) throws Exception;
+	List<File> rename(Collection<File> files, RenameAction action, String conflict, String output, String format, String db, String query, String sortOrder, String filter, String lang, boolean strict) throws Exception;
 	
 	
 	List<File> getSubtitles(Collection<File> files, String db, String query, String lang, String output, String encoding, boolean strict) throws Exception;
diff --git a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineOperations.java b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineOperations.java
index e8017ea1..f0e85ed3 100644
--- a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineOperations.java
+++ b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/CmdlineOperations.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import net.sourceforge.filebot.Analytics;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.HistorySpooler;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.MediaTypes;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.RenameAction;
-import net.sourceforge.filebot.StandardRenameAction;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.WebServices;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.archive.Archive;
 import net.sourceforge.filebot.archive.FileMapper;
@@ -85,12 +84,12 @@ import net.sourceforge.tuned.FileUtilities.ParentFilter;
 public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 	
 	@Override
-	public List<File> rename(Collection<File> files, String action, String conflict, String output, String formatExpression, String db, String query, String sortOrder, String filterExpression, String lang, boolean strict) throws Exception {
+	public List<File> rename(Collection<File> files, RenameAction action, String conflict, String output, String formatExpression, String db, String query, String sortOrder, String filterExpression, String lang, boolean strict)
+			throws Exception {
 		ExpressionFormat format = (formatExpression != null) ? new ExpressionFormat(formatExpression) : null;
 		ExpressionFilter filter = (filterExpression != null) ? new ExpressionFilter(filterExpression) : null;
 		File outputDir = (output != null && output.length() > 0) ? new File(output).getAbsoluteFile() : null;
 		Locale locale = getLanguage(lang).toLocale();
-		RenameAction renameAction = StandardRenameAction.forName(action);
 		ConflictAction conflictAction = ConflictAction.forName(conflict);
 		
 		List<File> mediaFiles = filter(files, VIDEO_FILES, SUBTITLE_FILES);
@@ -100,12 +99,12 @@ public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 		
 		if (getEpisodeListProvider(db) != null) {
 			// tv series mode
-			return renameSeries(files, renameAction, conflictAction, outputDir, format, getEpisodeListProvider(db), query, SortOrder.forName(sortOrder), filter, locale, strict);
+			return renameSeries(files, action, conflictAction, outputDir, format, getEpisodeListProvider(db), query, SortOrder.forName(sortOrder), filter, locale, strict);
 		}
 		
 		if (getMovieIdentificationService(db) != null) {
 			// movie mode
-			return renameMovie(files, renameAction, conflictAction, outputDir, format, getMovieIdentificationService(db), query, locale, strict);
+			return renameMovie(files, action, conflictAction, outputDir, format, getMovieIdentificationService(db), query, locale, strict);
 		}
 		
 		// auto-determine mode
@@ -136,9 +135,9 @@ public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 		
 		CLILogger.finest(format("Filename pattern: [%.02f] SxE, [%.02f] CWS", sxe / max, cws / max));
 		if (sxe >= (max * 0.65) || cws >= (max * 0.65)) {
-			return renameSeries(files, renameAction, conflictAction, outputDir, format, WebServices.TheTVDB, query, SortOrder.forName(sortOrder), filter, locale, strict); // use default episode db
+			return renameSeries(files, action, conflictAction, outputDir, format, WebServices.TheTVDB, query, SortOrder.forName(sortOrder), filter, locale, strict); // use default episode db
 		} else {
-			return renameMovie(files, renameAction, conflictAction, outputDir, format, WebServices.TMDb, query, locale, strict); // use default movie db
+			return renameMovie(files, action, conflictAction, outputDir, format, WebServices.TMDb, query, locale, strict); // use default movie db
 		}
 	}
 	
@@ -208,14 +207,8 @@ public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 			File file = match.getValue();
 			Object episode = match.getCandidate();
 			String newName = (format != null) ? format.format(new MediaBindingBean(episode, file)) : validateFileName(EpisodeFormat.SeasonEpisode.format(episode));
-			File newFile = new File(outputDir, newName + "." + getExtension(file));
 			
-			if (isInvalidFilePath(newFile) && !isUnixFS()) {
-				CLILogger.config("Stripping invalid characters from new path: " + newName);
-				newFile = validateFilePath(newFile);
-			}
-			
-			renameMap.put(file, newFile);
+			renameMap.put(file, getDestinationFile(file, newName, outputDir));
 		}
 		
 		// rename episodes
@@ -443,14 +436,8 @@ public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 			File file = match.getValue();
 			Object movie = match.getCandidate();
 			String newName = (format != null) ? format.format(new MediaBindingBean(movie, file)) : validateFileName(MovieFormat.NameYear.format(movie));
-			File newFile = new File(outputDir, newName + "." + getExtension(file));
 			
-			if (isInvalidFilePath(newFile) && !isUnixFS()) {
-				CLILogger.config("Stripping invalid characters from new path: " + newName);
-				newFile = validateFilePath(newFile);
-			}
-			
-			renameMap.put(file, newFile);
+			renameMap.put(file, getDestinationFile(file, newName, outputDir));
 		}
 		
 		// rename movies
@@ -459,6 +446,23 @@ public class CmdlineOperations implements CmdlineInterface {
 	}
 	
 	
+	private File getDestinationFile(File original, String newName, File outputDir) {
+		File newFile = new File(newName + "." + getExtension(original));
+		
+		// resolve against output dir
+		if (outputDir != null && !newFile.isAbsolute()) {
+			newFile = new File(outputDir, newFile.getPath());
+		}
+		
+		if (isInvalidFilePath(newFile) && !isUnixFS()) {
+			CLILogger.config("Stripping invalid characters from new path: " + newName);
+			newFile = validateFilePath(newFile);
+		}
+		
+		return newFile;
+	}
+	
+	
 	public List<File> renameAll(Map<File, File> renameMap, RenameAction renameAction, ConflictAction conflictAction) throws Exception {
 		// rename files
 		final List<Entry<File, File>> renameLog = new ArrayList<Entry<File, File>>();
diff --git a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ScriptShell.lib.groovy b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ScriptShell.lib.groovy
index a32ca561..6e3f6221 100644
--- a/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ScriptShell.lib.groovy
+++ b/source/net/sourceforge/filebot/cli/ScriptShell.lib.groovy
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def include(String input, Map parameters = [:], Object... args) {
 // CLI bindings
 def rename(args) { args = _defaults(args)
 	synchronized (_cli) {
-		_guarded { _cli.rename(_files(args), args.action as String, args.conflict as String, args.output as String, args.format as String, args.db as String, args.query as String, args.order as String, args.filter as String, args.lang as String, args.strict as Boolean) }
+		_guarded { _cli.rename(_files(args), _renameFunction(args.action), args.conflict as String, args.output as String, args.format as String, args.db as String, args.query as String, args.order as String, args.filter as String, args.lang as String, args.strict as Boolean) }
 	}
 }
 
@@ -275,6 +275,20 @@ def _files(args) {
 	return files
 }
 
+
+// allow Groovy to hook into rename interface
+import net.sourceforge.filebot.*
+
+def _renameFunction(fn) {
+	if (fn instanceof String)
+		return StandardRenameAction.forName(fn)
+	if (fn instanceof Closure)
+		return [rename:fn as Closure, toString:{'CLOSURE'}] as RenameAction
+		
+	return fn as RenameAction
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Fill in default values from cmdline arguments
  */