diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
index 248dc7213888..30a1e4dd8b6f 100755
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/nixos-rebuild.sh
@@ -559,11 +559,16 @@ if [ "$action" = repl ]; then
         blue="$(echo -e '\033[34;1m')"
         attention="$(echo -e '\033[35;1m')"
         reset="$(echo -e '\033[0m')"
+        if [[ -e $flake ]]; then
+            flakePath=$(realpath "$flake")
+        else
+            flakePath=$flake
+        fi
         # This nix repl invocation is impure, because usually the flakeref is.
         # For a solution that preserves the motd and custom scope, we need
         # something like https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/8679.
         exec nix repl --impure --expr "
-          let flake = builtins.getFlake ''$flake'';
+          let flake = builtins.getFlake ''$flakePath'';
               configuration = flake.$flakeAttr;
               motd = ''
                 $d{$q\n$q}
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/test/repl.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/test/repl.nix
index 1161ff84664d..c17546851cbf 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/test/repl.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nixos-rebuild/test/repl.nix
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ runCommand "test-nixos-rebuild-repl" {
 
   # cat -n ~/flake.nix
 
-  expect ${writeText "test-nixos-rebuild-repl-expect" ''
+  expect ${writeText "test-nixos-rebuild-repl-absolute-path-expect" ''
     ${expectSetup}
     spawn sh -c "nixos-rebuild repl --fast --flake path:\$HOME#testconf"
 
@@ -138,6 +138,19 @@ runCommand "test-nixos-rebuild-repl" {
     send "lib?nixos\n"
     expect_simple "true"
   ''}
+
+  pushd "$HOME"
+  expect ${writeText "test-nixos-rebuild-repl-relative-path-expect" ''
+    ${expectSetup}
+    spawn sh -c "nixos-rebuild repl --fast --flake .#testconf"
+
+    expect_simple "nix-repl>"
+
+    send "config.networking.hostName\n"
+    expect_simple "itsme"
+  ''}
+  popd
+
   echo
 
   #########