diff --git a/gpt4all-backend/dlhandle.h b/gpt4all-backend/dlhandle.h
index 9b163dd6..e76162d7 100644
--- a/gpt4all-backend/dlhandle.h
+++ b/gpt4all-backend/dlhandle.h
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ public:
     }
 };
 #else
-#include <string>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <string>
 #include <exception>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #ifndef NOMINMAX
@@ -76,9 +77,9 @@ public:
 
     Dlhandle() : chandle(nullptr) {}
     Dlhandle(const std::string& fpath) {
-        std::string path = fpath;
-        std::replace(path.begin(), path.end(), '/', '\\');
-        chandle = LoadLibraryExA(path.c_str(), NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DEFAULT_DIRS | LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DLL_LOAD_DIR);
+        std::string afpath = std::filesystem::absolute(fpath).string();
+        std::replace(afpath.begin(), afpath.end(), '/', '\\');
+        chandle = LoadLibraryExA(afpath.c_str(), NULL, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DEFAULT_DIRS | LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DLL_LOAD_DIR);
         if (!chandle) {
             throw Exception("dlopen(\""+fpath+"\"): Error");
         }