diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/lastUpdate.test.ts b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/lastUpdate.test.ts
index 8b44ce8fd9..323ac109ec 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/lastUpdate.test.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/lastUpdate.test.ts
@@ -31,15 +31,16 @@ describe('lastUpdate', () => {
   test('non-existing file', async () => {
     const consoleMock = jest.spyOn(console, 'error');
     consoleMock.mockImplementation();
+    const nonExistingFileName = '.nonExisting';
     const nonExistingFilePath = path.join(
       __dirname,
       '__fixtures__',
-      '.nonExisting',
+      nonExistingFileName,
     );
     expect(await getFileLastUpdate(nonExistingFilePath)).toBeNull();
     expect(consoleMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(consoleMock.mock.calls[0][0].message).toContain(
-      `Command failed with exit code 128: git log -1 --format=%ct, %an ${nonExistingFilePath}`,
+      `Command failed with exit code 128: git log -1 --format=%ct, %an ${nonExistingFileName}`,
     );
     expect(await getFileLastUpdate(null)).toBeNull();
     expect(await getFileLastUpdate(undefined)).toBeNull();
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/lastUpdate.ts b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/lastUpdate.ts
index 2ce8e71ffb..a7d07e9f94 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/lastUpdate.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/lastUpdate.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import shell from 'shelljs';
 import execa from 'execa';
+import path from 'path';
 
 type FileLastUpdateData = {timestamp?: number; author?: string};
 
@@ -43,12 +44,15 @@ export async function getFileLastUpdate(
       return null;
     }
 
-    const {stdout} = await execa('git', [
-      'log',
-      '-1',
-      '--format=%ct, %an',
-      filePath,
-    ]);
+    const fileBasename = path.basename(filePath);
+    const fileDirname = path.dirname(filePath);
+    const {stdout} = await execa(
+      'git',
+      ['log', '-1', '--format=%ct, %an', fileBasename],
+      {
+        cwd: fileDirname,
+      },
+    );
     return getTimestampAndAuthor(stdout);
   } catch (error) {
     console.error(error);