diff --git a/src/bin/initdb/initdb.sh b/src/bin/initdb/initdb.sh
index b7b5ec5dbfea0b942aeea438656e61a6df229f95..9369107b8190a8e152017f1ea7fa654f2394e6af 100644
--- a/src/bin/initdb/initdb.sh
+++ b/src/bin/initdb/initdb.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
 #
-# $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/initdb/Attic/initdb.sh,v 1.108 2000/10/29 11:36:44 petere Exp $
+# $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/initdb/Attic/initdb.sh,v 1.109 2000/11/02 19:48:39 petere Exp $
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -321,16 +321,6 @@ then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# The data path must be absolute, because the backend doesn't like
-# '.' and '..' stuff. (Should perhaps be fixed there.)
-
-echo "$PGDATA" | grep '^/' > /dev/null 2>&1
-if [ "$?" -ne 0 ]
-then
-    echo "$CMDNAME: data path must be specified as an absolute path"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Find the input files
@@ -434,6 +424,11 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+# Be sure that PGDATA is an absolute path, otherwise backend croaks.
+
+unset CDPATH
+PGDATA=`cd $PGDATA && pwd`
+
 
 ##########################################################################
 #