diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index 3d66cb19c0..313be6221f 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ function Module (id, parent) {
   } else {
     this.moduleCache = {};
   }
-  this.moduleCache[this.id] = this;
 
   this.filename = null;
   this.loaded = false;
@@ -223,52 +222,48 @@ function loadModule (request, parent, callback) {
 
   debug("loadModule REQUEST  " + (request) + " parent: " + parent.id);
 
-  var cachedModule = internalModuleCache[id] || parent.moduleCache[id];
-
-  if (!cachedModule) {
-    // Try to compile from native modules
-    if (natives[id]) {
-      debug('load native module ' + id);
-      cachedModule = loadNative(id);
-    }
+  // native modules always take precedence.
+  var cachedNative = internalModuleCache[id];
+  if (cachedNative) {
+    return callback ? callback(null, cachedNative.exports) : cachedNative.exports;
+  }
+  if (natives[id]) {
+    debug('load native module ' + id);
+    var nativeMod = loadNative(id);
+    return callback ? callback(null, nativeMod.exports) : nativeMod.exports;
   }
 
-  if (cachedModule) {
-    debug("found  " + JSON.stringify(id) + " in cache");
-    if (callback) {
-      callback(null, cachedModule.exports);
-    } else {
-      return cachedModule.exports;
+  // look up the filename first, since that's the cache key.
+  debug("looking for " + JSON.stringify(id) + " in " + JSON.stringify(paths));
+  if (!callback) {
+    // sync
+    var filename = findModulePath(request, paths);
+    if (!filename) {
+      throw new Error("Cannot find module '" + request + "'");
     }
 
-  } else {
-    // Not in cache
-    debug("looking for " + JSON.stringify(id) + " in " + JSON.stringify(paths));
-
-    if (!callback) {
-      // sync
-      var filename = findModulePath(request, paths);
-      if (!filename) {
-        throw new Error("Cannot find module '" + request + "'");
-      } else {
-        var module = new Module(id, parent);
-        module.loadSync(filename);
-        return module.exports;
-      }
+    var cachedModule = parent.moduleCache[filename];
+    if (cachedModule) return cachedModule.exports;
 
-    } else {
-      // async
-      findModulePath(request, paths, function (filename) {
-        if (!filename) {
-          var err = new Error("Cannot find module '" + request + "'");
-          callback(err);
-        } else {
-          var module = new Module(id, parent);
-          module.load(filename, callback);
-        }
-      });
-    }
+    var module = new Module(id, parent);
+    module.moduleCache[filename] = module;
+    module.loadSync(filename);
+    return module.exports;
   }
+  // async
+  findModulePath(request, paths, function (filename) {
+    if (!filename) {
+      var err = new Error("Cannot find module '" + request + "'");
+      return callback(err);
+    }
+
+    var cachedModule = parent.moduleCache[filename];
+    if (cachedModule) return callback(null, cachedModule.exports);
+
+    var module = new Module(id, parent);
+    module.moduleCache[filename] = module;
+    module.load(filename, callback);
+  });
 };
 
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/bar.js b/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/bar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc67811001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/bar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+var path = require("path");
+
+require.paths.unshift(path.join(__dirname,"../p2"));
+
+exports.foo = require("foo");
+
+exports.expect = require(path.join(__dirname, "../p2/bar"));
+exports.actual = exports.foo.bar;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/foo.js b/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/foo.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6e926f2746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/require-path/p1/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+require.paths.unshift(__dirname);
+exports.bar = require("bar");
diff --git a/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/bar.js b/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/bar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ffb5ed1b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/bar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+exports.INBAR = __filename;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/foo.js b/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/foo.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ebf2ac288c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/require-path/p2/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+require.paths.unshift(__dirname);
+exports.bar = require("bar"); // surprise! this is not /p2/bar, this is /p1/bar
diff --git a/test/simple/test-module-loading.js b/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
index e2676f9e12..23574643a9 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-module-loading.js
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ require.registerExtension('.test', function(content) {
 });
 
 assert.equal(require('../fixtures/registerExt2').custom, 'passed');
+debug("load modules by absolute id, then change require.paths, and load another module with the same absolute id.");
+// this will throw if it fails.
+var foo = require("../fixtures/require-path/p1/foo");
+process.assert(foo.bar.expect === foo.bar.actual);
 
 process.addListener("exit", function () {
   assert.equal(true, a.A instanceof Function);