diff --git a/python/ycm/tests/test_utils.py b/python/ycm/tests/test_utils.py
index b1bcb53b..d1733dbd 100644
--- a/python/ycm/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/python/ycm/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import sys
 
-from ycmd.utils import ToUnicode
+from ycmd.utils import GetCurrentDirectory, ToUnicode
 
 
 BUFNR_REGEX = re.compile( '^bufnr\(\'(?P<buffer_filename>.+)\', ([01])\)$' )
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ VIM_MOCK = MagicMock()
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def CurrentWorkingDirectory( path ):
-  old_cwd = os.getcwd()
+  old_cwd = GetCurrentDirectory()
   os.chdir( path )
   try:
     yield
diff --git a/python/ycm/vimsupport.py b/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
index c50641e0..4c8564d3 100644
--- a/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
+++ b/python/ycm/vimsupport.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2011, 2012  Google Inc.
+# Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Google Inc.
+#               2016      YouCompleteMe contributors
 #
 # This file is part of YouCompleteMe.
 #
@@ -26,11 +27,11 @@ from builtins import *  # noqa
 from future.utils import iterkeys
 import vim
 import os
-import tempfile
 import json
 import re
 from collections import defaultdict
-from ycmd.utils import ToUnicode, ToBytes, JoinLinesAsUnicode
+from ycmd.utils import ( GetCurrentDirectory, JoinLinesAsUnicode, ToBytes,
+                         ToUnicode )
 from ycmd import user_options_store
 
 BUFFER_COMMAND_MAP = { 'same-buffer'      : 'edit',
@@ -156,13 +157,8 @@ def GetBufferFilepath( buffer_object ):
   if buffer_object.name:
     return buffer_object.name
   # Buffers that have just been created by a command like :enew don't have any
-  # buffer name so we use the buffer number for that. Also, os.getcwd() throws
-  # an exception when the CWD has been deleted so we handle that.
-  try:
-    folder_path = os.getcwd()
-  except OSError:
-    folder_path = tempfile.gettempdir()
-  return os.path.join( folder_path, str( buffer_object.number ) )
+  # buffer name so we use the buffer number for that.
+  return os.path.join( GetCurrentDirectory(), str( buffer_object.number ) )
 
 
 def UnplaceSignInBuffer( buffer_number, sign_id ):
diff --git a/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py b/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
index 461fcb3a..6acfe520 100644
--- a/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
+++ b/python/ycm/youcompleteme.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2011, 2012  Google Inc.
+# Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Google Inc.
+#               2016      YouCompleteMe contributors
 #
 # This file is part of YouCompleteMe.
 #
@@ -225,7 +226,7 @@ class YouCompleteMe( object ):
             self._omnicomp, wrapped_request_data )
         return self._latest_completion_request
 
-    request_data[ 'working_dir' ] = os.getcwd()
+    request_data[ 'working_dir' ] = utils.GetCurrentDirectory()
 
     self._AddExtraConfDataIfNeeded( request_data )
     if force_semantic:
@@ -677,12 +678,8 @@ class YouCompleteMe( object ):
   def _AddTagsFilesIfNeeded( self, extra_data ):
     def GetTagFiles():
       tag_files = vim.eval( 'tagfiles()' )
-      # getcwd() throws an exception when the CWD has been deleted.
-      try:
-        current_working_directory = os.getcwd()
-      except OSError:
-        return []
-      return [ os.path.join( current_working_directory, x ) for x in tag_files ]
+      return [ os.path.join( utils.GetCurrentDirectory(), tag_file )
+               for tag_file in tag_files ]
 
     if not self._user_options[ 'collect_identifiers_from_tags_files' ]:
       return
diff --git a/third_party/ycmd b/third_party/ycmd
index f3232ce5..63c3d992 160000
--- a/third_party/ycmd
+++ b/third_party/ycmd
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f3232ce5180753822d839c80e9b9ea4e33e89d4c
+Subproject commit 63c3d992a2db8d189cd78a25a70c87348726fc52