diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index b9067d24af..8738c4cdd6 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -179,7 +179,6 @@ function resolveModulePath(request, parent) {
   var id, paths;
   if (request.charAt(0) == "." && (request.charAt(1) == "/" || request.charAt(1) == ".")) {
     // Relative request
-    debug("RELATIVE: requested:" + request + " set ID to: "+id+" from "+parent.id);
 
     var exts = ['js', 'node'], ext;
     var extensions = Object.keys(extensionCache);
@@ -191,6 +190,12 @@ function resolveModulePath(request, parent) {
     var parentIdPath = path.dirname(parent.id +
       (path.basename(parent.filename).match(new RegExp('^index\\.(' + exts.join('|') + ')$')) ? "/" : ""));
     id = path.join(parentIdPath, request);
+    // make sure require('./path') and require('path') get distinct ids, even
+    // when called from the toplevel js file
+    if (parentIdPath == '.' && ! id.match(new RegExp('/'))) {
+      id = './' + id;
+    }
+    debug("RELATIVE: requested:" + request + " set ID to: "+id+" from "+parent.id);
     paths = [path.dirname(parent.filename)];
   } else {
     id = request;
diff --git a/test/simple/path.js b/test/simple/path.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb8d40ff0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/path.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// This is actually more a fixture than a test. It is used to make
+// sure that require('./path') and require('path') do different things.
+// It has to be in the same directory as the test 'test-module-loading.js'
+// and it has to have the same name as an internal module.
+exports.path_func = function() { return "path_func"}
diff --git a/test/simple/test-module-loading.js b/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
index 220c3d163c..78183ce445 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ var root = require("../fixtures/cycles/root"),
 assert.equal(root.foo, foo);
 assert.equal(root.sayHello(), root.hello);
 
+debug("test name clashes");
+// this one exists and should import the local module
+var my_path = require("./path");
+assert.equal(true, my_path.path_func instanceof Function);
+// this one does not exist and should throw
+assert.throws(function() { require("./utils")});
+
 var errorThrown = false;
 try {
   require("../fixtures/throws_error");