diff --git a/scripts/qapi/common.py b/scripts/qapi/common.py
index 47673928dcc3cfb2b51aaccb77aa6e982ab51c77..bfa9bfec01d5b10648cc6388e72eb479d7d2efd5 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/common.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/common.py
@@ -259,9 +259,8 @@ class QAPIDoc(object):
 class QAPISchemaParser(object):
 
     def __init__(self, fp, previously_included=[], incl_info=None):
-        abs_fname = os.path.abspath(fp.name)
         self.fname = fp.name
-        previously_included.append(abs_fname)
+        previously_included.append(os.path.abspath(fp.name))
         self.incl_info = incl_info
         self.src = fp.read()
         if self.src == '' or self.src[-1] != '\n':
@@ -292,7 +291,7 @@ class QAPISchemaParser(object):
                 if not isinstance(include, str):
                     raise QAPISemError(info,
                                        "Value of 'include' must be a string")
-                self._include(include, info, os.path.dirname(abs_fname),
+                self._include(include, info, os.path.dirname(self.fname),
                               previously_included)
             elif "pragma" in expr:
                 self.reject_expr_doc(cur_doc)
@@ -325,7 +324,8 @@ class QAPISchemaParser(object):
                 % doc.symbol)
 
     def _include(self, include, info, base_dir, previously_included):
-        incl_abs_fname = os.path.join(base_dir, include)
+        incl_fname = os.path.join(base_dir, include)
+        incl_abs_fname = os.path.abspath(incl_fname)
         # catch inclusion cycle
         inf = info
         while inf:
@@ -337,9 +337,9 @@ class QAPISchemaParser(object):
         if incl_abs_fname in previously_included:
             return
         try:
-            fobj = open(incl_abs_fname, 'r')
+            fobj = open(incl_fname, 'r')
         except IOError as e:
-            raise QAPISemError(info, '%s: %s' % (e.strerror, include))
+            raise QAPISemError(info, '%s: %s' % (e.strerror, incl_fname))
         exprs_include = QAPISchemaParser(fobj, previously_included, info)
         self.exprs.extend(exprs_include.exprs)
         self.docs.extend(exprs_include.docs)
diff --git a/tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.err b/tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.err
index d5b9b22d85d8dd4af0eaf82d26505dca2c7dd2fd..e42bcf4bc1a2f8f87a7e24a71c3882185976fe33 100644
--- a/tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.err
+++ b/tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.err
@@ -1 +1 @@
-tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.json:1: No such file or directory: include-no-file-sub.json
+tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file.json:1: No such file or directory: tests/qapi-schema/include-no-file-sub.json