diff --git a/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-existingsiteresolver.php b/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-existingsiteresolver.php
index f42d6d0b..738f8515 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-existingsiteresolver.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-existingsiteresolver.php
@@ -24,17 +24,26 @@ public static function resolve( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress, ?VersionCon
 
 		// 1. Verify it's a valid WordPress installation.
 		$progress['verify_installation']->setCaption( 'Verifying WordPress installation' );
+
+		// Auto-detect the WordPress core directory. Some hosting setups place
+		// the WordPress core files (wp-load.php, wp-admin, wp-includes) in a
+		// subdirectory while wp-content stays in the web root.
 		if ( ! $target_fs->exists( 'wp-load.php' ) ) {
-			throw new BlueprintExecutionException(
-				'The target site does not appear to be a valid WordPress installation (wp-load.php not found)'
-			);
+			$detected_core_dir = self::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $config->get_target_site_root() );
+			if ( null !== $detected_core_dir ) {
+				$config->set_wordpress_core_dir( $detected_core_dir );
+			} else {
+				throw new BlueprintExecutionException(
+					'The target site does not appear to be a valid WordPress installation (wp-load.php not found)'
+				);
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Additional check to ensure we can actually load WordPress.
 		try {
 			$result = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				'<?php
-				require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+				require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
 				$is_installed = function_exists("is_blog_installed") && is_blog_installed() ? "true" : "false";
 				append_output("WordPress is installed: " . $is_installed);
 				'
@@ -61,7 +70,7 @@ public static function resolve( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress, ?VersionCon
 				trim(
 					$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 						'<?php
-						require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-includes/version.php");
+						require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-includes/version.php");
 						append_output( $wp_version );
 						'
 					)->output_file_content
@@ -92,7 +101,7 @@ public static function resolve( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress, ?VersionCon
 		if ( 'sqlite' === $required_engine ) {
 			$sqlite_active = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				'<?php
-				require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+				require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
 				
 				// Check if SQLite integration is active
 				$sqlite_plugin = WP_CONTENT_DIR . "/plugins/sqlite-database-integration/load.php";
@@ -113,7 +122,7 @@ public static function resolve( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress, ?VersionCon
 			// For MySQL, verify it's not using SQLite.
 			$using_mysql = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				'<?php
-				require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+				require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
 				
 				// Check if SQLite integration is NOT active
 				$active_plugins = get_option("active_plugins");
@@ -139,4 +148,41 @@ public static function resolve( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress, ?VersionCon
 		$progress['verify_database']->finish();
 		$progress->finish();
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Scans the web root for a WordPress core directory. Some hosting
+	 * setups place the core files in a subdirectory while wp-content/
+	 * stays in the web root.
+	 *
+	 * @param  string $web_root Absolute path to the web root.
+	 *
+	 * @return string|null Absolute path to the WordPress core directory, or
+	 *                     null when wp-load.php cannot be found anywhere.
+	 */
+	public static function detect_wordpress_core_dir( string $web_root ): ?string {
+		// Standard layout: wp-load.php is in the web root itself.
+		if ( file_exists( $web_root . '/wp-load.php' ) ) {
+			return $web_root;
+		}
+
+		// Scan immediate subdirectories for wp-load.php. This covers the
+		// Check immediate subdirectories for any single-level split layout.
+		$entries = @scandir( $web_root );
+		if ( false === $entries ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		foreach ( $entries as $entry ) {
+			if ( '.' === $entry || '..' === $entry ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			$candidate = $web_root . '/' . $entry;
+			if ( is_dir( $candidate ) && file_exists( $candidate . '/wp-load.php' ) ) {
+				return $candidate;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return null;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-newsiteresolver.php b/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-newsiteresolver.php
index 5aa4ef81..4ace812a 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-newsiteresolver.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/SiteResolver/class-newsiteresolver.php
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ private static function is_wordpress_installed( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progr
 		$install_check = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-		$wp_load = getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+		$wp_load = getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 		if (!file_exists($wp_load)) {
 			append_output('0');
 			exit;
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ private static function is_wordpress_installed( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progr
 PHP
 			,
 			array(
-				'DOCROOT' => $runtime->get_configuration()->get_target_site_root(),
+				'DOCROOT'     => $runtime->get_configuration()->get_target_site_root(),
+				'WP_CORE_DIR' => $runtime->get_configuration()->get_wordpress_core_dir(),
 			),
 			null,
 			5
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatepluginstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatepluginstep.php
index 7af6362c..9de21314 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatepluginstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatepluginstep.php
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ class ActivatePluginStep implements StepInterface {
 <?php
 
 define( 'WP_ADMIN', true );
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
 
 // Set current user to admin
 set_current_user( get_users( array( 'role' => 'Administrator' ) )[0] );
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatethemestep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatethemestep.php
index a6e5bc61..147709cc 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatethemestep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-activatethemestep.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class ActivateThemeStep implements StepInterface {
 <?php
 
 define( 'WP_ADMIN', true );
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Set current user to admin
 set_current_user( get_users( array( 'role' => 'Administrator' ) )[0] );
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-defineconstantsstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-defineconstantsstep.php
index 07a672e9..6f92199b 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-defineconstantsstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-defineconstantsstep.php
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ function find_first_token_index( $tokens, $type, $search = null ) {
 	return null;
 }
 
-$wp_config_path = getenv( "DOCROOT" ) . "/wp-config.php";
+$wp_config_path = getenv( "WP_CORE_DIR" ) . "/wp-config.php";
 
 if ( ! file_exists( $wp_config_path ) ) {
 	error_log( "Blueprint Error: wp-config.php file not found at " . $wp_config_path );
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-enablemultisitestep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-enablemultisitestep.php
index 14e6ded2..42aab631 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-enablemultisitestep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-enablemultisitestep.php
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $tracker ) {
  * See: https://github.com/wp-cli/core-command/blob/f157fb37dae1d13fe7318452f932917161e83e53/src/Core_Command.php#L505
  */
 
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php';
 
 // need to register the multisite tables manually for some reason
 foreach ( $wpdb->tables( 'ms_global' ) as $table => $prefixed_table ) {
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importcontentstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importcontentstep.php
index 6c81d8c2..b0908856 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importcontentstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importcontentstep.php
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ private function importPosts( Runtime $runtime, $post ): void {
 		$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 foreach (json_decode(getenv('POSTS'), true) as $post) {
 	$result = wp_insert_post(wp_slash($post));
 	if (is_wp_error($result)) {
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importmediastep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importmediastep.php
index 24859ea5..f7ebadf3 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importmediastep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importmediastep.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress ) {
 		$fs             = $runtime->get_target_filesystem();
 		$wp_upload_dir  = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			'<?php
-			require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+			require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
 			$upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
 			append_output( json_encode($upload_dir) );
 			'
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ function ( $media ) {
 				$attachment_id = $runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 					<<<'CODE'
 <?php
-require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
-require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-admin/includes/image.php");
+require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
+require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-admin/includes/image.php");
 
 $file_path = getenv("MEDIA_FILE_PATH");
 $attachment_meta = json_decode(getenv("ATTACHMENT_META"), true);
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importthemestartercontentstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importthemestartercontentstep.php
index fd69cde0..f8208e17 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importthemestartercontentstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-importthemestartercontentstep.php
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function importThemeStarterContent_plugins_loaded() {
                                                                                      'accepted_args' => 0,
 );
 
-require getenv( "DOCROOT" ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require getenv( "WP_CORE_DIR" ) . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Return early if there's no starter content.
 if ( ! get_theme_starter_content() ) {
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installpluginstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installpluginstep.php
index 113ec612..6f9113c5 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installpluginstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installpluginstep.php
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ function ( $temp_dir ) use ( $runtime, $tracker, $plugin_data ) {
 					<<<'PHP'
 <?php
 
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
 
 define( 'WP_ADMIN', true );
 
 // Define a dummy skin for the upgrader.
 if ( ! class_exists( '\WP_Upgrader_Skin', false ) ) {
-	require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
+	require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
 
 	class Blueprint_WP_Upgrader_Skin extends WP_Upgrader_Skin {
 		public $destination;
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@ public function after( $title = '' ) {
 	}
 }
 
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/file.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin-install.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/file.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin-install.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
 
 // Ensure filesystem access is properly set up
 WP_Filesystem();
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installthemestep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installthemestep.php
index adc55e8f..ee9bd305 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installthemestep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-installthemestep.php
@@ -99,16 +99,16 @@ function ( $temp_dir ) use ( $runtime, $tracker ) {
 					<<<'PHP'
 <?php
 
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
 
 define( 'WP_ADMIN', true );
 
 // Load required WordPress files
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/file.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/theme.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/misc.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/file.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/theme.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-admin/includes/misc.php';
 
 // Define show_message function if it doesn't exist (fallback)
 if ( ! function_exists( 'show_message' ) ) {
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-runsqlstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-runsqlstep.php
index 175d6721..b82015a7 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-runsqlstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-runsqlstep.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $tracker ) {
 		$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'CODE'
 <?php
-		require_once getenv("DOCROOT") . '/wp-load.php';
+		require_once getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . '/wp-load.php';
 		$handle = STDIN;
 		$buffer = '';
 		global $wpdb;
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsitelanguagestep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsitelanguagestep.php
index 391079ca..f91488da 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsitelanguagestep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsitelanguagestep.php
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress ) {
 		$wp_version = trim(
 			$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				'<?php
-            require getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-includes/version.php";
+            require getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-includes/version.php";
             append_output( $wp_version );
             '
 			)->output_file_content
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $progress ) {
 		$plugins_data = json_decode(
 			$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				"<?php
-            require_once(getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php');
-            require_once(getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php');
+            require_once(getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php');
+            require_once(getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php');
             append_output(
 				json_encode(
 					array_values(
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ function(\$plugin) {
 		$themes_data = json_decode(
 			$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 				"<?php
-            require_once(getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php');
-            require_once(getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-admin/includes/theme.php');
+            require_once(getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php');
+            require_once(getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-admin/includes/theme.php');
             append_output(
 				json_encode(
 					array_values(
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsiteoptionsstep.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsiteoptionsstep.php
index 0f1954b1..251fc97a 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsiteoptionsstep.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/class-setsiteoptionsstep.php
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public function run( Runtime $runtime, Tracker $tracker ) {
 		$tracker->setCaption( 'Setting site options' );
 		$runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			'<?php
-		require getenv(\'DOCROOT\'). \'/wp-load.php\';
+		require getenv(\'WP_CORE_DIR\'). \'/wp-load.php\';
 		$site_options = getenv("OPTIONS") ? json_decode(getenv("OPTIONS"), true) : [];
 		foreach($site_options as $name => $value) {
 			update_option($name, $value);
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Steps/scripts/import-content.php b/components/Blueprints/Steps/scripts/import-content.php
index b98095fe..4bfeb25e 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Steps/scripts/import-content.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Steps/scripts/import-content.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 use function WordPress\Filesystem\wp_join_unix_paths;
 
-require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv( 'WP_CORE_DIR' ) . '/wp-load.php';
 require_once getenv( 'DOCROOT' ) . '/php-toolkit.phar';
 
 // Progress reporting interfaces and implementations.
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/RunnerConfigurationTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/RunnerConfigurationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c50cd1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/RunnerConfigurationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace WordPress\Blueprints\Tests\Unit;
+
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use WordPress\Blueprints\RunnerConfiguration;
+
+class RunnerConfigurationTest extends TestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * When no WordPress core dir is set, it defaults to the target site root.
+	 */
+	public function test_wordpress_core_dir_defaults_to_site_root() {
+		$config = new RunnerConfiguration();
+		$config->set_target_site_root( '/srv/htdocs' );
+
+		$this->assertSame( '/srv/htdocs', $config->get_wordpress_core_dir() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * When a WordPress core dir is explicitly set, it takes precedence
+	 * over the target site root.
+	 */
+	public function test_wordpress_core_dir_can_be_set_independently() {
+		$config = new RunnerConfiguration();
+		$config->set_target_site_root( '/srv/htdocs' );
+		$config->set_wordpress_core_dir( '/srv/htdocs/wp' );
+
+		$this->assertSame( '/srv/htdocs', $config->get_target_site_root() );
+		$this->assertSame( '/srv/htdocs/wp', $config->get_wordpress_core_dir() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Setting WordPress core dir to null resets to the default behavior
+	 * (falling back to the site root).
+	 */
+	public function test_wordpress_core_dir_reset_to_null_falls_back_to_site_root() {
+		$config = new RunnerConfiguration();
+		$config->set_target_site_root( '/srv/htdocs' );
+		$config->set_wordpress_core_dir( '/srv/htdocs/wp' );
+		$config->set_wordpress_core_dir( null );
+
+		$this->assertSame( '/srv/htdocs', $config->get_wordpress_core_dir() );
+	}
+}
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/SiteResolver/DetectWordPressCoreDirTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/SiteResolver/DetectWordPressCoreDirTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01a69ecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/SiteResolver/DetectWordPressCoreDirTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace WordPress\Blueprints\Tests\Unit\SiteResolver;
+
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use WordPress\Blueprints\SiteResolver\ExistingSiteResolver;
+
+use function WordPress\Filesystem\wp_unix_sys_get_temp_dir;
+
+/**
+ * Tests for ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir().
+ *
+ * Some hosting setups place the WordPress core files (wp-load.php,
+ * wp-admin/, wp-includes/) in a subdirectory while wp-content/ stays
+ * in the web root. The detection method must find wp-load.php in both
+ * standard and split layouts.
+ */
+class DetectWordPressCoreDirTest extends TestCase {
+	/**
+	 * @var string
+	 */
+	private $temp_dir;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		$this->temp_dir = wp_unix_sys_get_temp_dir() . '/wp_core_detect_' . uniqid();
+		mkdir( $this->temp_dir, 0755, true );
+	}
+
+	protected function tearDown(): void {
+		$this->remove_directory( $this->temp_dir );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Standard layout: wp-load.php is in the web root.
+	 */
+	public function test_detects_standard_layout() {
+		touch( $this->temp_dir . '/wp-load.php' );
+
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $this->temp_dir );
+
+		$this->assertSame( $this->temp_dir, $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Split layout: wp-load.php lives in a subdirectory of the web root.
+	 */
+	public function test_detects_split_layout_with_subdirectory() {
+		// Web root has wp-content but not wp-load.php.
+		mkdir( $this->temp_dir . '/wp-content', 0755, true );
+
+		// WordPress core is in a subdirectory.
+		$wp_core = $this->temp_dir . '/wp';
+		mkdir( $wp_core, 0755, true );
+		touch( $wp_core . '/wp-load.php' );
+
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $this->temp_dir );
+
+		$this->assertSame( $wp_core, $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Custom subdirectory layout: wp-load.php in an arbitrary subdirectory.
+	 */
+	public function test_detects_custom_subdirectory_layout() {
+		$wp_core = $this->temp_dir . '/core';
+		mkdir( $wp_core, 0755, true );
+		touch( $wp_core . '/wp-load.php' );
+
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $this->temp_dir );
+
+		$this->assertSame( $wp_core, $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * No WordPress installation: returns null when wp-load.php is not
+	 * found anywhere.
+	 */
+	public function test_returns_null_when_no_wordpress_found() {
+		// Empty directory, no wp-load.php anywhere.
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $this->temp_dir );
+
+		$this->assertNull( $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Deeply nested wp-load.php should NOT be detected. Only the
+	 * web root and its immediate subdirectories are searched.
+	 */
+	public function test_does_not_detect_deeply_nested_wp_load() {
+		$deep = $this->temp_dir . '/a/b/c';
+		mkdir( $deep, 0755, true );
+		touch( $deep . '/wp-load.php' );
+
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( $this->temp_dir );
+
+		$this->assertNull( $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Non-existent directory: returns null gracefully.
+	 */
+	public function test_returns_null_for_nonexistent_directory() {
+		$result = ExistingSiteResolver::detect_wordpress_core_dir( '/nonexistent/path/' . uniqid() );
+
+		$this->assertNull( $result );
+	}
+
+	private function remove_directory( string $dir ): void {
+		if ( ! is_dir( $dir ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$entries = scandir( $dir );
+		foreach ( $entries as $entry ) {
+			if ( '.' === $entry || '..' === $entry ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$path = $dir . '/' . $entry;
+			if ( is_dir( $path ) ) {
+				$this->remove_directory( $path );
+			} else {
+				unlink( $path );
+			}
+		}
+		rmdir( $dir );
+	}
+}
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/DefineConstantsStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/DefineConstantsStepTest.php
index bee71d3e..b61d36ce 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/DefineConstantsStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/DefineConstantsStepTest.php
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ private function assertWordPressConstants( array $expected_constants ) {
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
 // Load WordPress environment
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Check if constants are defined
 $results = [];
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/EnableMultisiteStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/EnableMultisiteStepTest.php
index 6d412027..b711e9db 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/EnableMultisiteStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/EnableMultisiteStepTest.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public function setUp(): void {
 		$this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 update_option( 'siteurl', 'http://localhost' );
 update_option( 'home', 'http://localhost' );
 PHP
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public function testEnableMultisite() {
 <?php
 
 // Load WordPress environment
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Verify multisite setup
 append_output(
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public function testEnableMultisiteRedirectsWhenSiteNotFound() {
 $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] = '/';
 
 // Load WordPress environment
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( 'not_redirected' );
 
 PHP
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public function testEnableMultisiteFailsOnNon80Port() {
 		$this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 update_option( 'siteurl', 'http://localhost:8080' );
 PHP
 		);
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public function testEnableMultisiteFailsWhenConfigInvalid() {
 		$this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 delete_option( 'siteurl' );
 PHP
 		);
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallPluginStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallPluginStepTest.php
index 0b056af7..8c663d22 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallPluginStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallPluginStepTest.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginWithActivation() {
 		$active_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( json_encode(get_option('active_plugins')) );
 PHP
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginWithoutActivation() {
 		$inactive_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Get all installed plugins
 $all_plugins = get_plugins();
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginWithoutActivation() {
 		$active_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( json_encode(get_option('active_plugins')) );
 PHP
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginFromZip() {
 		$active_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( json_encode(get_option('active_plugins')) );
 PHP
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginFromZipWithSubfolder() {
 		$active_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( json_encode(get_option('active_plugins')) );
 PHP
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ public function testInstallPluginFromADirectory() {
 		$active_plugins = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( json_encode(get_option('active_plugins')) );
 PHP
 
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallThemeStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallThemeStepTest.php
index 7cca6fe7..742350df 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallThemeStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/InstallThemeStepTest.php
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public function testInstallThemeWithActivation() {
 		$active_theme = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( get_option('stylesheet') );
 PHP
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public function testInstallThemeWithoutActivation() {
 		$active_theme = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( get_option('stylesheet') );
 PHP
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public function testInstallThemeFromZip() {
 		$active_theme = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( get_option('stylesheet') );
 PHP
 
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunPHPStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunPHPStepTest.php
index 578993fc..dd8d9aaf 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunPHPStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunPHPStepTest.php
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public function testRunPHPCodeWithWordPress() {
 					'filename' => 'script.php',
 					'content' => <<<PHP
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 // Create a test option
 update_option('test_option', 'test_value');
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public function testRunPHPCodeWithWordPress() {
 		$option_value = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( get_option('test_option') );
 PHP
 
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunSQLStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunSQLStepTest.php
index 324caae7..bf346e1a 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunSQLStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/RunSQLStepTest.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public function testRunSimpleSQLQuery() {
 		$table_exists = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 global $wpdb;
 $table_name = 'test_table';
 $result = $wpdb->get_var("SHOW TABLES LIKE '$table_name'");
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public function testRunSQLQueryWithInserts() {
 		$result = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 global $wpdb;
 $count = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM test_table");
 $rows = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM test_table ORDER BY id", ARRAY_A);
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public function testRunSQLQueryModifyingWordPressOptions() {
 		$option_value = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 append_output( get_option('sql_test_option') );
 PHP
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public function testRunMultipleSQLStatements() {
 		$result = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 global $wpdb;
 
 $table1_data = $wpdb->get_var("SELECT value FROM test_table_1 LIMIT 1");
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public function testHandleSQLErrors() {
 		$table_exists = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 global $wpdb;
 $table_name = 'test_table';
 $result = $wpdb->get_var("SHOW TABLES LIKE '$table_name'");
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/SetSiteOptionsStepTest.php b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/SetSiteOptionsStepTest.php
index 8693123a..f0affc68 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/SetSiteOptionsStepTest.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Tests/Unit/Steps/SetSiteOptionsStepTest.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ private function assertWordPressOptions( array $expected_options ) {
 		$result = $this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 $options = json_decode(getenv('OPTIONS'), true);
 $result = [];
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public function testUpdateExistingWordPressOptions() {
 		$this->runtime->eval_php_code_in_subprocess(
 			<<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require_once getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require_once getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 update_option('users_can_register', 0);
 update_option('default_role', 'subscriber');
 PHP
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/Versions/Version1/class-v1tov2transpiler.php b/components/Blueprints/Versions/Version1/class-v1tov2transpiler.php
index 0228371c..3ba9130a 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/Versions/Version1/class-v1tov2transpiler.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/Versions/Version1/class-v1tov2transpiler.php
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ public function upgrade( array $validated_v1_blueprint ): array {
 								'filename' => 'script.php',
 								'content'  => <<<'PHP'
 <?php
-require getenv('DOCROOT') . '/wp-load.php';
+require getenv('WP_CORE_DIR') . '/wp-load.php';
 
 $GLOBALS['@pdo']->query('DELETE FROM wp_posts WHERE id > 0');
 $GLOBALS['@pdo']->query("UPDATE SQLITE_SEQUENCE SET SEQ=0 WHERE NAME='wp_posts'");
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ public function upgrade( array $validated_v1_blueprint ): array {
 								'filename' => 'script.php',
 								'content'  => <<<'PHP'
 <?php
-include getenv("DOCROOT") . '/wp-load.php';
+include getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . '/wp-load.php';
 $meta = json_decode(getenv("META"), true);
 foreach($meta as $name => $value) {
 update_user_meta(getenv("USER_ID"), $name, $value);
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/bin/blueprint.php b/components/Blueprints/bin/blueprint.php
index 7a6c43a5..05abf0fa 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/bin/blueprint.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/bin/blueprint.php
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ function createProgressReporter(): ProgressReporter {
 			array(
 				'site-url'                    => array( 'u', true, null, 'Public site URL (https://example.com)' ),
 				'site-path'                   => array( null, true, null, 'Target directory with WordPress install context)' ),
+				'wp-core-path'                => array( null, true, null, 'WordPress core directory (if different from site-path)' ),
 				'execution-context'           => array( 'x', true, null, 'Source directory with Blueprint context files' ),
 				'mode'                        => array( 'm', true, Runner::EXECUTION_MODE_CREATE_NEW_SITE, sprintf( 'Execution mode (%s|%s)', Runner::EXECUTION_MODE_CREATE_NEW_SITE, Runner::EXECUTION_MODE_APPLY_TO_EXISTING_SITE ) ),
 				'db-engine'                   => array( 'd', true, 'mysql', 'Database engine (mysql|sqlite)' ),
@@ -475,6 +476,15 @@ function cliArgsToRunnerConfiguration( array $positional_args, array $options ):
 	$config->set_target_site_root( $absolute_target_site_root );
 	$config->set_target_site_url( $options['site-url'] );
 
+	// Set WordPress core directory if explicitly provided.
+	if ( ! empty( $options['wp-core-path'] ) ) {
+		$absolute_wp_core_path = realpath( $options['wp-core-path'] );
+		if ( false === $absolute_wp_core_path || ! is_dir( $absolute_wp_core_path ) ) {
+			throw new InvalidArgumentException( "The --wp-core-path path does not exist: {$options['wp-core-path']}" );
+		}
+		$config->set_wordpress_core_dir( $absolute_wp_core_path );
+	}
+
 	// Set database engine.
 	if ( ! empty( $options['db-engine'] ) ) {
 		$config->set_database_engine( $options['db-engine'] );
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/class-runner.php b/components/Blueprints/class-runner.php
index 5678c849..1daa3495 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/class-runner.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/class-runner.php
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ private function create_step_object( string $step_type, array $data ) {
 				}
 
 				$code = '<?php
-				require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+				require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
 				$roles = getenv("ROLES");
                 foreach ($roles as $role) {
                     if (empty($role["name"]) || !is_string($role["name"])) {
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ private function create_step_object( string $step_type, array $data ) {
 				}
 
 				$code = '<?php
-                require_once(getenv("DOCROOT") . "/wp-load.php");
+                require_once(getenv("WP_CORE_DIR") . "/wp-load.php");
                 $users = getenv("USERS");
                 foreach ($users as $user) {
                     if (empty($user["username"]) || !is_string($user["username"])) {
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/class-runnerconfiguration.php b/components/Blueprints/class-runnerconfiguration.php
index 58738f9c..c200555f 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/class-runnerconfiguration.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/class-runnerconfiguration.php
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ class RunnerConfiguration {
 	 * @var string
 	 */
 	private $root_dir = '';
+	/**
+	 * The path to the WordPress core directory, containing wp-load.php,
+	 * wp-admin/, and wp-includes/. On standard installs this is the same
+	 * as the site root. Some hosting setups place the core in a subdirectory
+	 * while wp-content/ stays in the web root.
+	 *
+	 * @var string|null
+	 */
+	private $wordpress_core_dir = null;
 	/**
 	 * @var string
 	 */
@@ -117,6 +126,25 @@ public function get_target_site_root(): string {
 		return $this->root_dir;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets the WordPress core directory path. This is where wp-load.php,
+	 * wp-admin/, and wp-includes/ live. When null, it defaults to the
+	 * target site root.
+	 */
+	public function set_wordpress_core_dir( ?string $d ): self {
+		$this->wordpress_core_dir = $d;
+
+		return $this;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the WordPress core directory path. Falls back to the target
+	 * site root when not explicitly set.
+	 */
+	public function get_wordpress_core_dir(): string {
+		return $this->wordpress_core_dir ?? $this->root_dir;
+	}
+
 	public function set_target_site_url( string $u ): self {
 		$this->site_url = $u;
 
diff --git a/components/Blueprints/class-runtime.php b/components/Blueprints/class-runtime.php
index 8438661b..712c54d5 100644
--- a/components/Blueprints/class-runtime.php
+++ b/components/Blueprints/class-runtime.php
@@ -177,7 +177,10 @@ public function create_temporary_file( ?string $suffix = null ): string {
 	 *
 	 * * append_output( $output ): A function that appends a given string to the output file. Useful for
 	 *                             separating the returned structured data from PHP warnings and echos.
-	 * * DOCROOT environment variable: The path to the WordPress root directory.
+	 * * DOCROOT environment variable: The path to the web root directory (document root).
+	 * * WP_CORE_DIR environment variable: The path to the WordPress core directory (where wp-load.php lives).
+	 *                                      On standard installs this equals DOCROOT. Some hosts place
+	 *                                      the core in a subdirectory separate from the web root.
 	 * * OUTPUT_FILE environment variable: The path to a file where the output of the code will be appended.
 	 *
 	 * @TODO: Useful error messages on process failure. Right now we get this mouthful error message:
@@ -264,6 +267,7 @@ function ( $script_path ) use ( $code, $env, $input, $timeout ) {
 					array_merge(
 						array(
 							'DOCROOT'     => $this->configuration->get_target_site_root(),
+							'WP_CORE_DIR' => $this->configuration->get_wordpress_core_dir(),
 							'OUTPUT_FILE' => $output_path,
 						),
 						$env ?? array()