diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py b/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
index 0516487cb..9245c5816 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
@@ -261,7 +261,10 @@ def load_config():
         with open(fname) as f:
             general, pairs, storages = read_config(f)
         _validate_general_section(general)
-        general['status_path'] = os.path.join(fname, general['status_path'])
+        general['status_path'] = os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(fname),
+            expand_path(general['status_path'])
+        )
     except Exception as e:
         raise CliError('Error during reading config {}: {}'
                        .format(fname, e))
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py b/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
index d1d91006c..b6772dc75 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/utils/__init__.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 def expand_path(p):
     p = os.path.expanduser(p)
-    p = os.path.abspath(p)
+    p = os.path.normpath(p)
     return p