diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
index 8b0ec6a1..c0d3d2d1 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: rclconfig.cpp,v 1.41 2007-02-02 10:12:58 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: rclconfig.cpp,v 1.42 2007-02-06 14:16:43 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 /*
  *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -65,7 +65,12 @@ RclConfig::RclConfig(const string *argcnf)
 
     // Command line config name overrides environment
     if (argcnf && !argcnf->empty()) {
-	m_confdir = *argcnf;
+	m_confdir = path_absolute(*argcnf);
+	if (m_confdir.empty()) {
+	    m_reason = 
+		string("Cant turn [") + *argcnf + "] into absolute path";
+	    return;
+	}
     } else {
 	const char *cp = getenv("RECOLL_CONFDIR");
 	if (cp) {
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.cpp b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
index 6b7819ca..04374f21 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: pathut.cpp,v 1.14 2006-12-23 13:07:21 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: pathut.cpp,v 1.15 2007-02-06 14:16:43 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 /*
  *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -217,6 +217,21 @@ extern string path_tildexpand(const string &s)
     return o;
 }
 
+extern std::string path_absolute(const std::string &is)
+{
+    if (is.length() == 0)
+	return is;
+    string s = is;
+    if (s[0] != '/') {
+	char buf[MAXPATHLEN];
+	if (!getcwd(buf, MAXPATHLEN)) {
+	    return "";
+	}
+	s = path_cat(string(buf), s); 
+    }
+    return s;
+}
+
 #include <smallut.h>
 extern std::string path_canon(const std::string &is)
 {
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.h b/src/utils/pathut.h
index 51c200f9..97c4955c 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.h
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  */
 #ifndef _PATHUT_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _PATHUT_H_INCLUDED_
-/* @(#$Id: pathut.h,v 1.11 2006-12-16 15:31:51 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
+/* @(#$Id: pathut.h,v 1.12 2007-02-06 14:16:43 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
 
 #include <string>
 #include <list>
@@ -41,7 +41,10 @@ extern string path_getfather(const string &s);
 extern string path_home();
 /// Expand ~ at the beginning of string 
 extern string path_tildexpand(const string &s);
-/// Clean up path by removing duplicated / and resolving ../
+/// Use getcwd() to make absolute path if needed. Beware: ***this can fail***
+/// we return an empty path in this case.
+extern string path_absolute(const string &s);
+/// Clean up path by removing duplicated / and resolving ../ + make it absolute
 extern string path_canon(const string &s);
 /// Use glob(3) to return a list of file names matching pattern inside dir
 extern list<string> path_dirglob(const string &dir,