--- a/loader.lua	Mon Feb 09 01:57:07 2026 +0100
+++ b/loader.lua	Mon Feb 09 01:57:40 2026 +0100
@@ -2,9 +2,21 @@
 -- transition period while we update all require calls.
 
 if (...) == "prosody.loader" then
+	local function is_relative(path)
+		local path_sep = package.config:sub(1,1);
+		return ((path_sep == "/" and path:sub(1,1) ~= "/")
+			or (path_sep == "\\" and (path:sub(1,1) ~= "/" and path:sub(2,3) ~= ":\\")))
+	end
+	local function filter_relative_paths(path)
+		if is_relative(path) then return ""; end
+	end
+	local function sanitise_paths(paths)
+		return (paths:gsub("[^;]+;?", filter_relative_paths):gsub(";;+", ";"));
+	end
+
 	-- For require"util.foo" also look in paths equivalent to "prosody.util.foo"
-	package.path = package.path:gsub("([^;]*)(?[^;]*)", "%1prosody/%2;%1%2");
-	package.cpath = package.cpath:gsub("([^;]*)(?[^;]*)", "%1prosody/%2;%1%2");
+	package.path = sanitise_paths(CFG_SOURCEDIR.."/?.lua;"..package.path:gsub("([^;]*)(?[^;]*)", "%1prosody/%2;%1%2"));
+	package.cpath = sanitise_paths(CFG_SOURCEDIR.."/?.so;"..package.cpath:gsub("([^;]*)(?[^;]*)", "%1prosody/%2;%1%2"));
 else
 	-- When requiring "prosody.x", also look for "x"
 	for i = #package.searchers, 1, -1 do