diff --git a/exca/map.py b/exca/map.py
index 53be2efb..0374b0ad 100644
--- a/exca/map.py
+++ b/exca/map.py
@@ -372,7 +372,8 @@ def _method_override(self, *args: tp.Any, **kwargs: tp.Any) -> tp.Iterator[tp.An
             items = next(iter(kwargs.values()))
         # specific function for thread and process pool executors
         if self.cluster in [None, "threadpool", "processpool"]:
-            return self._method_override_futures(items)
+            with self._work_env():
+                return self._method_override_futures(items)
         uid_func = imethod.item_uid
         # we need to keep order for output:
         uid_items = [(uid_func(item), item) for item in items]
diff --git a/exca/slurm.py b/exca/slurm.py
index b6720bc8..f1a961b0 100644
--- a/exca/slurm.py
+++ b/exca/slurm.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def model_post_init(self, log__: tp.Any) -> None:
                     f"cluster={self.cluster} requires a folder to be provided, "
                     "only cluster=None works without folder"
                 )
-            if self.workdir is not None:
+            if self.workdir is not None and self.workdir.folder is None:
                 raise ValueError("Workdir requires a folder")
         if self.tasks_per_node > 1 and not self.slurm_use_srun:
             if self.cluster in ["slurm", "auto"]:
@@ -205,7 +205,8 @@ def _work_env(self) -> tp.Iterator[None]:
         if not isinstance(self, base.BaseInfra):
             raise RuntimeError("SubmititMixin should be set a BaseInfra mixin")
         with contextlib.ExitStack() as estack:
-            estack.enter_context(submitit.helpers.clean_env())
+            if self.executor is not None:
+                estack.enter_context(submitit.helpers.clean_env())
             if self.workdir is not None:
                 if self.workdir.folder is None:
                     if self.folder is None:
diff --git a/exca/task.py b/exca/task.py
index ba0e1cdf..da609847 100644
--- a/exca/task.py
+++ b/exca/task.py
@@ -337,7 +337,8 @@ def job(self) -> submitit.Job[tp.Any] | LocalJob:
         # submit job if it does not exist
         executor = self.executor()
         if executor is None:
-            job = LocalJob(self._run_method)
+            with self._work_env():
+                job = LocalJob(self._run_method)
             job._name = self._factory()  # for better logging message
         else:
             executor.folder.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
diff --git a/exca/test_base.py b/exca/test_base.py
index 1e4d664b..ae12de8c 100644
--- a/exca/test_base.py
+++ b/exca/test_base.py
@@ -388,6 +388,18 @@ def test_tricky_update(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert isinstance(wxp.infra.workdir, WorkDir)
 
 
+def test_workdir_no_cache(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    # pb in confdict for subconfig
+    infra: tp.Any = {
+        "folder": None,
+        "workdir": {"folder": tmp_path, "copied": [Path(__file__).parent]},
+    }
+    xp = Base(infra=infra)
+    assert xp.func() == 24
+    folders = [x.name for x in tmp_path.iterdir()]
+    assert folders == ["exca"]
+
+
 def test_missing_base_model() -> None:
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):