diff --git a/cmd/tools/modules/testing/common.v b/cmd/tools/modules/testing/common.v
index 7f9de79d3c..111b579ef7 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/modules/testing/common.v
+++ b/cmd/tools/modules/testing/common.v
@@ -212,8 +212,7 @@ pub fn (mut ts TestSession) test() {
 	ts.init()
 	mut remaining_files := []string{}
 	for dot_relative_file in ts.files {
-		relative_file := dot_relative_file.replace('./', '')
-		file := os.real_path(relative_file)
+		file := os.real_path(dot_relative_file)
 		$if windows {
 			if file.contains('sqlite') || file.contains('httpbin') {
 				continue
@@ -267,8 +266,7 @@ fn worker_trunner(mut p pool.PoolProcessor, idx int, thread_id int) voidptr {
 		p.set_thread_context(idx, tls_bench)
 	}
 	tls_bench.no_cstep = true
-	dot_relative_file := p.get_item<string>(idx)
-	mut relative_file := dot_relative_file.replace('./', '')
+	mut relative_file := os.real_path(p.get_item<string>(idx))
 	mut cmd_options := [ts.vargs]
 	if relative_file.contains('global') && !ts.vargs.contains('fmt') {
 		cmd_options << ' -enable-globals'
diff --git a/cmd/tools/test_if_v_test_system_works.v b/cmd/tools/test_if_v_test_system_works.v
index a86abd8b99..d163268928 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/test_if_v_test_system_works.v
+++ b/cmd/tools/test_if_v_test_system_works.v
@@ -37,10 +37,13 @@ fn new_tdir() string {
 
 fn cleanup_tdir() {
 	println('... removing tdir: $tdir')
-	os.rmdir_all(tdir) or { panic(err) }
+	os.rmdir_all(tdir) or { eprintln(err) }
 }
 
 fn main() {
+	defer {
+		os.chdir(os.wd_at_startup) or {}
+	}
 	println('> vroot: $vroot | vexe: $vexe | tdir: $tdir')
 	ok_fpath := os.join_path(tdir, 'single_test.v')
 	os.write_file(ok_fpath, 'fn test_ok(){ assert true }') ?
@@ -51,6 +54,10 @@ fn main() {
 	check_fail('"$vexe" $fail_fpath')
 	check_fail('"$vexe" test $fail_fpath')
 	check_fail('"$vexe" test $tdir')
+	rel_dir := os.join_path(tdir, rand.ulid())
+	os.mkdir(rel_dir) ?
+	os.chdir(rel_dir) ?
+	check_ok('"$vexe" test ..${os.path_separator + os.base(ok_fpath)}')
 }
 
 fn check_ok(cmd string) string {