diff --git a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/__main__.py b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/__main__.py
index b7f99b7..0ff23c5 100755
--- a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/__main__.py
+++ b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/__main__.py
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ def main():
         action="store_true",
         help="don't run gen_gpio_defaults script",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-gen_defaults_dir",
+        help="directory to run gen_gpio_defaults script <dir>/scripts/gen_gpio_defaults.py default is caravel_root",
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "-sdfs_dir",
         "-sdfs",
diff --git a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunFlow.py b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunFlow.py
index 9638f77..dad6b30 100644
--- a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunFlow.py
+++ b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunFlow.py
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ def __init__(
         sdf_setup=None,
         macros=None,
         sim_path=None,
+        gen_defaults_dir=None,
         run_path=".",
         verbosity="normal",
         check_commits=False,
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.clk = clk
         self.macros = macros
         self.sim_path = sim_path
+        self.gen_defaults_dir = gen_defaults_dir
         self.run_path = run_path
         self.verbosity = verbosity
         # dev only
@@ -304,6 +306,7 @@ def argparse_to_CocotbArgs(self, args):
         self.clk = args.clk
         self.macros = args.macros
         self.sim_path = args.sim_path
+        self.gen_defaults_dir = args.gen_defaults_dir
         self.lint = args.lint
         self.run_path = os.getcwd()
         self.verbosity = args.verbosity
diff --git a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunRegression.py b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunRegression.py
index 852020c..821852e 100644
--- a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunRegression.py
+++ b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/scripts/verify_cocotb/RunRegression.py
@@ -175,7 +175,11 @@ def run_defaults_script(self):
         if self.args.no_gen_defaults:
             return
         current_dir = os.getcwd()
-        os.chdir(f"{self.paths.CARAVEL_ROOT}/")
+        if self.args.gen_defaults_dir is None:
+            root_script = f"{self.paths.CARAVEL_ROOT}/"
+        else:
+            root_script = self.args.gen_defaults_dir
+        os.chdir(root_script)
         self.logger.info("Running gen_gpio_defaults script")
         os.system(
             f"python3 scripts/gen_gpio_defaults.py {self.paths.USER_PROJECT_ROOT}"
@@ -498,14 +502,13 @@ def unzip_sdf_files(self):
             pass
         else:
             sdf_dir = self.args.sdfs_dir
-        
         if isinstance(sdf_dir, list):
             gz_files = []
             for dir in sdf_dir:
-                gz_files += glob.glob(f"{dir}/**/*.gz")
+                gz_files += glob.glob(f"{dir}/**/*.gz".replace('"', ''), recursive=True)
         else:
-            gz_files = glob.glob(f"{sdf_dir}/**/*.gz")
-        
+            gz_files = glob.glob(f"{sdf_dir}/**/*.gz".replace('"', ''), recursive=True)
+        print("unzipping files {}".format(gz_files))
         for gz_file in gz_files:
             subprocess.run(f"gzip {gz_file} -d".split())
         self.args.macros.append(f'SDF_PATH=\\"{sdf_dir}\\"')
diff --git a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/version.py b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/version.py
index b7e1990..64c7d51 100644
--- a/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/version.py
+++ b/cocotb/caravel_cocotb/version.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "1.2.5"
+__version__ = "1.2.6"