diff --git a/C/sysbits.c b/C/sysbits.c
index 62b5398b2..b989aed0d 100755
--- a/C/sysbits.c
+++ b/C/sysbits.c
@@ -1955,7 +1955,7 @@ int Yap_getcwd(const char *buf, int len)
       TODO: rewrite to use wordexp
  ****/
 static int
-TrueFileName (char *source, char *root, char *result, int in_lib)
+TrueFileName (char *source, char *root, char *result, int in_lib, int expand_root)
 {
   CACHE_REGS
   char *work;
@@ -2031,7 +2031,7 @@ TrueFileName (char *source, char *root, char *result, int in_lib)
     strncpy (result, source, YAP_FILENAME_MAX);
   }
   /* step 3: get the full file name */
-  if (!dir_separator(result[0]) && !volume_header(result)) {
+  if (expand_root && !dir_separator(result[0]) && !volume_header(result)) {
     if (!Yap_getcwd(ares1, YAP_FILENAME_MAX))
       return FALSE;
 #if _MSC_VER || defined(__MINGW32__)
@@ -2139,7 +2139,7 @@ TrueFileName (char *source, char *root, char *result, int in_lib)
 int
 Yap_TrueFileName (char *source, char *result, int in_lib)
 {
-  return TrueFileName (source, NULL, result, in_lib);
+  return TrueFileName (source, NULL, result, in_lib, TRUE);
 }
 
 static Int
@@ -2155,7 +2155,24 @@ p_true_file_name ( USES_REGS1 )
     Yap_Error(TYPE_ERROR_ATOM,t,"argument to true_file_name");
     return FALSE;
   }
-  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE, NULL, LOCAL_FileNameBuf, FALSE);
+  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE, NULL, LOCAL_FileNameBuf, FALSE, TRUE);
+  return Yap_unify(ARG2, MkAtomTerm(Yap_LookupAtom(LOCAL_FileNameBuf)));
+}
+
+static Int
+p_expand_file_name ( USES_REGS1 )
+{
+  Term t = Deref(ARG1);
+  
+  if (IsVarTerm(t)) {
+    Yap_Error(INSTANTIATION_ERROR,t,"argument to true_file_name unbound");
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  if (!IsAtomTerm(t)) {
+    Yap_Error(TYPE_ERROR_ATOM,t,"argument to true_file_name");
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE, NULL, LOCAL_FileNameBuf, FALSE, FALSE);
   return Yap_unify(ARG2, MkAtomTerm(Yap_LookupAtom(LOCAL_FileNameBuf)));
 }
 
@@ -2180,7 +2197,7 @@ p_true_file_name3 ( USES_REGS1 )
     }
     root = RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t2))->StrOfAE;
   }
-  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE, root, LOCAL_FileNameBuf, FALSE);
+  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE, root, LOCAL_FileNameBuf, FALSE, FALSE);
   return Yap_unify(ARG3, MkAtomTerm(Yap_LookupAtom(LOCAL_FileNameBuf)));
 }
 
@@ -2344,8 +2361,8 @@ p_mv ( USES_REGS1 )
   } else if (!IsAtomTerm(t2)) {
     Yap_Error(TYPE_ERROR_ATOM, t2, "second argument to rename/2 not atom");
   }
-  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t1))->StrOfAE, NULL, oldname, FALSE);
-  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t2))->StrOfAE, NULL, newname, FALSE);
+  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t1))->StrOfAE, NULL, oldname, FALSE, TRUE);
+  TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t2))->StrOfAE, NULL, newname, FALSE, TRUE);
   if ((r = link (oldname, newname)) == 0 && (r = unlink (oldname)) != 0)
     unlink (newname);
   if (r != 0) {
@@ -3100,6 +3117,7 @@ Yap_InitSysPreds(void)
   Yap_InitCPred ("$win32", 0, p_win32, SafePredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$ld_path", 1, p_ld_path, SafePredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$address_bits", 1, p_address_bits, SafePredFlag);
+  Yap_InitCPred ("$expand_file_name", 2, p_expand_file_name, SyncPredFlag);
 #ifdef _WIN32
   Yap_InitCPred ("win_registry_get_value", 3, p_win_registry_get_value,0);
 #endif
diff --git a/pl/consult.yap b/pl/consult.yap
index 0c6c98edd..f04ffeb2f 100755
--- a/pl/consult.yap
+++ b/pl/consult.yap
@@ -895,12 +895,14 @@ absolute_file_name(File,Opts,TrueFileName) :-
 	fail.
 '$find_in_path'(S, Opts, NewFile, Call) :-
 	S =.. [Name,File0],
-	'$cat_file_name'(File0,File), !,
+	'$cat_file_name'(File0,File1), !,
+	'$expand_file_name'(File1, File),
 	'$dir_separator'(D),
 	atom_codes(A,[D]),
 	'$extend_path_directory'(Name, A, File, Opts, NewFile, Call).
 '$find_in_path'(File0,Opts,NewFile,_) :-
-	'$cat_file_name'(File0,File), !,
+	'$cat_file_name'(File0,File1), !,
+	'$expand_file_name'(File1, File),
 	'$add_path'(File,PFile),
 	'$get_abs_file'(PFile,Opts,AbsFile),
 	'$search_in_path'(AbsFile,Opts,NewFile).
@@ -928,9 +930,13 @@ absolute_file_name(File,Opts,TrueFileName) :-
 	(
 	 nonvar(RelTo)
 	->
-	 '$dir_separator'(D),
+	'$dir_separator'(D),
 	 atom_codes(DA,[D]),
-	 atom_concat([RelTo, DA, File], ActualFile)
+	 ( sub_atom(File, 0, 1, _, DA) ->
+	   ActualFile = File
+	  ;
+	   atom_concat([RelTo, DA, File], ActualFile)
+	  )
 	;
 	  ActualFile = File
 	),
@@ -982,6 +988,10 @@ absolute_file_name(File,Opts,TrueFileName) :-
 	atom_concat([File,'.',Ext],F).
 '$add_type_extensions'(_,File,File).
 
+'$add_path'(File,File) :-
+	'$dir_separator'(D),
+	atom_codes(DA,[D]),
+	sub_atom(File, 0, 1, _, DA), !.
 '$add_path'(File,File).
 '$add_path'(File,PFile) :-
 	recorded('$path',Path,_),
@@ -997,6 +1007,8 @@ absolute_file_name(File,Opts,TrueFileName) :-
 	get_value(prolog_commons_directory,Dir).
 
 
+'$extend_path_directory'(_Name, D, File, _Opts, File, Call) :-
+	sub_atom(File, 0, 1, _, D), !.
 '$extend_path_directory'(Name, D, File, Opts, NewFile, Call) :-
 	user:file_search_path(Name, Dir),
 	'$extend_pathd'(Dir, D, File, Opts, NewFile, Call).