diff --git a/.golangci.next.reference.yml b/.golangci.next.reference.yml
index cdedd51dd6f7..7cae1c896a0d 100644
--- a/.golangci.next.reference.yml
+++ b/.golangci.next.reference.yml
@@ -535,6 +535,8 @@ linters-settings:
         # Default: "original"
         list-mode: lax
         # List of file globs that will match this list of settings to compare against.
+        # By default, if a path is relative, it is relative to the directory where the golangci-lint command is executed.
+        # The placeholder '${base-path}' is substituted with a path relative to the mode defined with `run.relative-path-mode`.
         # Default: $all
         files:
           - "!**/*_a _file.go"
@@ -1364,11 +1366,11 @@ linters-settings:
         # Default: ""
         failOn: dsl,import
         # Comma-separated list of file paths containing ruleguard rules.
-        # If a path is relative, it is relative to the directory where the golangci-lint command is executed.
-        # The special '${configDir}' variable is substituted with the absolute directory containing the golangci-lint config file.
+        # By default, if a path is relative, it is relative to the directory where the golangci-lint command is executed.
+        # The placeholder '${base-path}' is substituted with a path relative to the mode defined with `run.relative-path-mode`.
         # Glob patterns such as 'rules-*.go' may be specified.
         # Default: ""
-        rules: '${configDir}/ruleguard/rules-*.go,${configDir}/myrule1.go'
+        rules: '${base-path}/ruleguard/rules-*.go,${base-path}/myrule1.go'
         # Comma-separated list of enabled groups or skip empty to enable everything.
         # Tags can be defined with # character prefix.
         # Default: "<all>"
@@ -1461,6 +1463,8 @@ linters-settings:
       # limitations under the License.
     # As alternative of directive 'template', you may put the path to file with the template source.
     # Useful if you need to load the template from a specific file.
+    # By default, if a path is relative, it is relative to the directory where the golangci-lint command is executed.
+    # The placeholder '${base-path}' is substituted with a path relative to the mode defined with `run.relative-path-mode`.
     # Default: ""
     template-path: /path/to/my/template.tmpl
 
@@ -4168,7 +4172,7 @@ run:
   # - `gitroot`: the paths will be relative to the git root (the parent directory of `.git`).
   # - `cfg`: the paths will be relative to the configuration file.
   # - `wd` (NOT recommended): the paths will be relative to the place where golangci-lint is run.
-  # Default: wd
+  # Default: cfg
   relative-path-mode: gomod
 
   # Exit code when at least one issue was found.
diff --git a/pkg/fsutils/basepath.go b/pkg/fsutils/basepath.go
index 97d6aced11d6..f0f4bc762d2a 100644
--- a/pkg/fsutils/basepath.go
+++ b/pkg/fsutils/basepath.go
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ package fsutils
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"cmp"
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@ func AllRelativePathModes() []string {
 }
 
 func GetBasePath(ctx context.Context, mode, cfgDir string) (string, error) {
-	if mode == "" {
-		// TODO(ldez): v2 the default should be cfg or gomod.
-		mode = RelativePathModeWd
-	}
+	mode = cmp.Or(mode, RelativePathModeCfg)
 
 	switch mode {
 	case RelativePathModeCfg:
@@ -62,7 +59,7 @@ func GetBasePath(ctx context.Context, mode, cfgDir string) (string, error) {
 		return wd, nil
 
 	default:
-		return "", errors.New("unknown relative path mode")
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unknown relative path mode: %s", mode)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/gocritic.go b/pkg/golinters/gocritic/gocritic.go
index 0fa4c63d1af1..0b9be7d2eedc 100644
--- a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/gocritic.go
+++ b/pkg/golinters/gocritic/gocritic.go
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ Dynamic rules are written declaratively with AST patterns, filters, report messa
 		WithContextSetter(func(context *linter.Context) {
 			wrapper.replacer = strings.NewReplacer(
 				internal.PlaceholderBasePath, context.Cfg.GetBasePath(),
-				internal.PlaceholderConfigDir, context.Cfg.GetConfigDir(), //nolint:staticcheck // It must be removed in v2.
 			)
 
 			wrapper.init(context.Log, settings)
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.go b/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e4cd0221cdee..000000000000
--- a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-//golangcitest:args -Egocritic
-//golangcitest:config_path testdata/gocritic_configDir.yml
-package testdata
-
-import (
-	"flag"
-	"io"
-	"log"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-var _ = *flag.Bool("global1", false, "") // want `flagDeref: immediate deref in \*flag.Bool\(.global1., false, ..\) is most likely an error; consider using flag\.BoolVar`
-
-type size1 struct {
-	a [12]bool
-}
-
-type size2 struct {
-	size1
-	b [12]bool
-}
-
-func gocriticAppendAssign() {
-	var positives, negatives []int
-	positives = append(negatives, 1)
-	negatives = append(negatives, -1)
-	log.Print(positives, negatives)
-}
-
-func gocriticDupSubExpr(x bool) {
-	if x && x { // want "dupSubExpr: suspicious identical LHS and RHS.*"
-		log.Print("x is true")
-	}
-}
-
-func gocriticHugeParamSize1(ss size1) {
-	log.Print(ss)
-}
-
-func gocriticHugeParamSize2(ss size2) { // want "hugeParam: ss is heavy \\(24 bytes\\); consider passing it by pointer"
-	log.Print(ss)
-}
-
-func gocriticHugeParamSize2Ptr(ss *size2) {
-	log.Print(*ss)
-}
-
-func gocriticSwitchTrue() {
-	switch true {
-	case false:
-		log.Print("false")
-	default:
-		log.Print("default")
-	}
-}
-
-func goCriticPreferStringWriter(w interface {
-	io.Writer
-	io.StringWriter
-}) {
-	w.Write([]byte("test")) // want "ruleguard: w\\.WriteString\\(\"test\"\\) should be preferred.*"
-}
-
-func gocriticStringSimplify() {
-	s := "Most of the time, travellers worry about their luggage."
-	s = strings.Replace(s, ",", "", -1) // want "ruleguard: this Replace call can be simplified.*"
-	log.Print(s)
-}
-
-func gocriticRuleWrapperFunc() {
-	strings.Replace("abcabc", "a", "d", -1) // want "ruleguard: this Replace call can be simplified.*"
-}
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.yml b/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index a4088504943b..000000000000
--- a/pkg/golinters/gocritic/testdata/gocritic_configDir.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-version: "2"
-
-linters-settings:
-  gocritic:
-    disabled-checks:
-      - appendAssign
-      - switchTrue
-    enabled-checks:
-      - hugeParam
-      - ruleguard
-    settings:
-      hugeParam:
-        sizeThreshold: 24
-      ruleguard:
-        failOn: dsl,import
-        rules: '${configDir}/ruleguard/preferWriteString.go,${configDir}/ruleguard/stringsSimplify.go'
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/internal/commons.go b/pkg/golinters/internal/commons.go
index ebb0b13a0d56..f00b6ceb8160 100644
--- a/pkg/golinters/internal/commons.go
+++ b/pkg/golinters/internal/commons.go
@@ -5,11 +5,5 @@ import "github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/logutils"
 // LinterLogger must be use only when the context logger is not available.
 var LinterLogger = logutils.NewStderrLog(logutils.DebugKeyLinter)
 
-// Placeholders used inside linters to evaluate relative paths.
-const (
-	PlaceholderBasePath = "${base-path}"
-	// Deprecated: it must be removed in v2.
-	// [PlaceholderBasePath] will be the only one placeholder as it is a dynamic value based on
-	// [github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/config.Run.RelativePathMode].
-	PlaceholderConfigDir = "${configDir}"
-)
+// PlaceholderBasePath used inside linters to evaluate relative paths.
+const PlaceholderBasePath = "${base-path}"
diff --git a/pkg/lint/lintersdb/builder_plugin_go.go b/pkg/lint/lintersdb/builder_plugin_go.go
index e9f6931f33d8..15d0a2586434 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/lintersdb/builder_plugin_go.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/lintersdb/builder_plugin_go.go
@@ -83,15 +83,7 @@ func (b *PluginGoBuilder) loadConfig(cfg *config.Config, name string, settings *
 // or the linter does not implement the AnalyzerPlugin interface.
 func (b *PluginGoBuilder) getAnalyzerPlugin(cfg *config.Config, path string, settings any) ([]*analysis.Analyzer, error) {
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(path) {
-		// Hack for compatibility:
-		// the previous default (v1) was `cfg` but `fsutils.GetBasePath` defaults on `wd`.
-		// TODO(ldez): should be removed in v2.
-		relativePathMode := cfg.Run.RelativePathMode
-		if relativePathMode == "" {
-			relativePathMode = fsutils.RelativePathModeCfg
-		}
-
-		basePath, err := fsutils.GetBasePath(context.Background(), relativePathMode, cfg.GetConfigDir())
+		basePath, err := fsutils.GetBasePath(context.Background(), cfg.Run.RelativePathMode, cfg.GetConfigDir())
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("get base path: %w", err)
 		}
diff --git a/test/run_test.go b/test/run_test.go
index 8fad2e6fdb32..84e6d139373e 100644
--- a/test/run_test.go
+++ b/test/run_test.go
@@ -548,12 +548,12 @@ func TestPathPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			desc:    "empty",
-			pattern: "^testdata/withtests/",
+			pattern: "^test/testdata/withtests/",
 		},
 		{
 			desc:    "prefixed",
 			args:    []string{"--path-prefix=cool"},
-			pattern: "^cool/testdata/withtests",
+			pattern: "^cool/test/testdata/withtests",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/default_exclude.yml b/test/testdata/configs/default_exclude.yml
index 087e4bcc30c0..eb719139cfd1 100644
--- a/test/testdata/configs/default_exclude.yml
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/default_exclude.yml
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ linters:
       - std-error-handling
       - common-false-positives
       - legacy
+
+run:
+  relative-path-mode: wd
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/multiple-issues-fix.yml b/test/testdata/configs/multiple-issues-fix.yml
index 2ea2120b8480..6ab63fd8b24f 100644
--- a/test/testdata/configs/multiple-issues-fix.yml
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/multiple-issues-fix.yml
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ formatters:
   settings:
     gofumpt:
       extra-rules: true
+
+run:
+  relative-path-mode: wd
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/output.yml b/test/testdata/configs/output.yml
index 485487f2eef1..81e14d8672f8 100644
--- a/test/testdata/configs/output.yml
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/output.yml
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ linters-settings:
     ignore-words:
       - langauge
       - Dialogue
+
+run:
+  relative-path-mode: wd
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/path-except.yml b/test/testdata/configs/path-except.yml
index 44a60814e00b..d07a62f81547 100644
--- a/test/testdata/configs/path-except.yml
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/path-except.yml
@@ -14,3 +14,6 @@ linters:
       - path-except: _test\.go
         linters:
           - forbidigo
+
+run:
+  relative-path-mode: wd