diff --git a/lib/importproject.cpp b/lib/importproject.cpp
index e2c525de0..27743a906 100644
--- a/lib/importproject.cpp
+++ b/lib/importproject.cpp
@@ -199,19 +199,25 @@ ImportProject::Type ImportProject::import(const std::string &filename, Settings
 
     if (endsWith(filename, ".json", 5)) {
         importCompileCommands(fin);
+        setRelativePaths(filename);
         return ImportProject::Type::COMPILE_DB;
     } else if (endsWith(filename, ".sln", 4)) {
         importSln(fin, mPath, fileFilter);
+        setRelativePaths(filename);
         return ImportProject::Type::VS_SLN;
     } else if (endsWith(filename, ".vcxproj", 8)) {
         std::map<std::string, std::string, cppcheck::stricmp> variables;
         importVcxproj(filename, variables, emptyString, fileFilter);
+        setRelativePaths(filename);
         return ImportProject::Type::VS_VCXPROJ;
     } else if (endsWith(filename, ".bpr", 4)) {
         importBcb6Prj(filename);
+        setRelativePaths(filename);
         return ImportProject::Type::BORLAND;
     } else if (settings && endsWith(filename, ".cppcheck", 9)) {
-        return importCppcheckGuiProject(fin, settings) ? ImportProject::Type::CPPCHECK_GUI : ImportProject::Type::MISSING;
+        const bool success = importCppcheckGuiProject(fin, settings);
+        setRelativePaths(filename);
+        return success ? ImportProject::Type::CPPCHECK_GUI : ImportProject::Type::MISSING;
     }
     return ImportProject::Type::UNKNOWN;
 }
@@ -1240,3 +1246,15 @@ std::list<std::string> ImportProject::getVSConfigs()
 {
     return std::list<std::string> (mAllVSConfigs.begin(), mAllVSConfigs.end());
 }
+
+void ImportProject::setRelativePaths(const std::string &filename)
+{
+    if (Path::isAbsolute(filename))
+        return;
+    const std::vector<std::string> basePaths{Path::getCurrentPath()};
+    for (auto &fs: fileSettings) {
+        fs.filename = Path::getRelativePath(fs.filename, basePaths);
+        for (auto &includePath: fs.includePaths)
+            includePath = Path::getRelativePath(includePath, basePaths);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/importproject.h b/lib/importproject.h
index 7f0b99779..ad5caefcf 100644
--- a/lib/importproject.h
+++ b/lib/importproject.h
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ private:
     void importVcxproj(const std::string &filename, std::map<std::string, std::string, cppcheck::stricmp> &variables, const std::string &additionalIncludeDirectories, const std::string &fileFilter);
     void importBcb6Prj(const std::string &projectFilename);
 
+    void setRelativePaths(const std::string &filename);
+
     std::string mPath;
     std::set<std::string> mAllVSConfigs;
 };
diff --git a/test/cli/test-proj2.py b/test/cli/test-proj2.py
index e49452655..edfa9495f 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-proj2.py
+++ b/test/cli/test-proj2.py
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ def test_file_filter():
 def test_local_path():
     create_compile_commands()
     ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck_local(['--project=compile_commands.json'])
-    file1 = os.path.realpath('proj2/a/a.c')
-    file2 = os.path.realpath('proj2/b/b.c')
+    file1 = 'a/a.c'
+    file2 = 'b/b.c'
     assert ret == 0, stdout
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file1) >= 0
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file2) >= 0
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ def test_local_path_maxconfigs():
 def test_relative_path():
     create_compile_commands()
     ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(['--project=proj2/' + COMPILE_COMMANDS_JSON])
-    file1 = os.path.realpath('proj2/a/a.c')
-    file2 = os.path.realpath('proj2/b/b.c')
+    file1 = 'proj2/a/a.c'
+    file2 = 'proj2/b/b.c'
     assert ret == 0, stdout
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file1) >= 0
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file2) >= 0
@@ -83,21 +83,21 @@ def test_absolute_path():
 def test_gui_project_loads_compile_commands_1():
     create_compile_commands()
     ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(['--project=proj2/proj2.cppcheck'])
-    file1 = os.path.realpath('proj2/a/a.c')
-    file2 = os.path.realpath('proj2/b/b.c')
+    file1 = 'proj2/a/a.c'
+    file2 = 'proj2/b/b.c'
     assert ret == 0, stdout
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file1) >= 0
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file2) >= 0
 
 def test_gui_project_loads_compile_commands_2():
     create_compile_commands()
-    exclude_path_1 = realpath('proj2/b')
+    exclude_path_1 = 'proj2/b'
     create_gui_project_file('proj2/test.cppcheck',
                             import_project='compile_commands.json',
                             exclude_paths=[exclude_path_1])
     ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(['--project=proj2/test.cppcheck'])
-    file1 = os.path.realpath('proj2/a/a.c')
-    file2 = os.path.realpath('proj2/b/b.c') # Excluded by test.cppcheck
+    file1 = 'proj2/a/a.c'
+    file2 = 'proj2/b/b.c' # Excluded by test.cppcheck
     assert ret == 0, stdout
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file1) >= 0
     assert stdout.find('Checking %s ...' % file2) < 0