diff --git a/reframe/utility/__init__.py b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
index ae0bb6152c..d1f603ad63 100644
--- a/reframe/utility/__init__.py
+++ b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ def import_module_from_file(filename):
     if os.path.isdir(filename):
         filename = os.path.join(filename, '__init__.py')
 
+    if filename.startswith('..'):
+        filename = os.path.abspath(filename)
+
     module_name = _get_module_name(filename)
     if os.path.isabs(filename):
         return _do_import_module_from_file(filename, module_name)
diff --git a/unittests/test_utility.py b/unittests/test_utility.py
index f1a40fa634..4cb2576c57 100644
--- a/unittests/test_utility.py
+++ b/unittests/test_utility.py
@@ -280,6 +280,20 @@ def test_load_unknown_path(self):
             self.assertEqual('foo', e.name)
             self.assertEqual('/foo', e.path)
 
+    def test_load_directory_relative(self):
+        with os_ext.change_dir('reframe'):
+            module = util.import_module_from_file('../reframe')
+            self.assertEqual(reframe.VERSION, module.VERSION)
+            self.assertEqual('reframe', module.__name__)
+            self.assertIs(module, sys.modules.get('reframe'))
+
+    def test_load_file_relative(self):
+        with os_ext.change_dir('reframe'):
+            module = util.import_module_from_file('../reframe/__init__.py')
+            self.assertEqual(reframe.VERSION, module.VERSION)
+            self.assertEqual('reframe', module.__name__)
+            self.assertIs(module, sys.modules.get('reframe'))
+
     def test_load_twice(self):
         filename = os.path.abspath('reframe/__init__.py')
         module1 = util.import_module_from_file(filename)