diff --git a/zntrack/state.py b/zntrack/state.py
index edf1ceb0..5786bcc4 100644
--- a/zntrack/state.py
+++ b/zntrack/state.py
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ def name(self) -> str:
     def nwd(self):
         if self.tmp_path is not None:
             return self.tmp_path
+        if "nwd" not in self.node.__dict__:
+            self.node.__dict__["nwd"] = get_nwd(self.node)
+
         return get_nwd(self.node)
 
     @property
diff --git a/zntrack/utils/node_wd.py b/zntrack/utils/node_wd.py
index e9380cd4..239157f1 100644
--- a/zntrack/utils/node_wd.py
+++ b/zntrack/utils/node_wd.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import pathlib
 import shutil
 import typing as t
-import warnings
 
 import znflow.utils
 
@@ -48,11 +47,30 @@ def get_nwd(node: "Node") -> pathlib.Path:
     try:
         return node.__dict__["nwd"]
     except KeyError:
-        warnings.warn(
-            "Using the NWD outside a project context"
-            " can not guarantee unique directories."
-        )
-        return pathlib.Path(NWD_PATH, node.__class__.__name__)
+        if node.name is None:
+            raise ValueError("Unable to determine node name.")
+        if (
+            node.state.remote is None
+            and node.state.rev is None
+            and node.state.state != NodeStatusEnum.FINISHED
+        ):
+            nwd = pathlib.Path(NWD_PATH, node.name)
+        else:
+            try:
+                with node.state.fs.open(ZNTRACK_FILE_PATH) as f:
+                    zntrack_config = json.load(f)
+                nwd = zntrack_config[node.name]["nwd"]
+                nwd = json.loads(json.dumps(nwd), cls=znjson.ZnDecoder)
+            except (FileNotFoundError, KeyError):
+                nwd = pathlib.Path(NWD_PATH, node.name)
+
+        if node.state.group is not None:
+            # strip the groups from node_name
+            to_replace = "_".join(node.state.group.name) + "_"
+            replacement = "/".join(node.state.group.name) + "/"
+            nwd = pathlib.Path(str(nwd).replace(to_replace, replacement))
+
+    return nwd
 
 
 class NWDReplaceHandler(znflow.utils.IterableHandler):