diff --git a/configfile.c b/configfile.c
index b2246de5..c492544d 100644
--- a/configfile.c
+++ b/configfile.c
@@ -73,6 +73,59 @@ load_config(const char *config_file, bool verbose, bool terse, t_configuration_o
 		strncpy(config_file_path, config_file, MAXPGPATH);
 		canonicalize_path(config_file_path);
 
+		/* relative path supplied - convert to absolute path */
+		if (config_file_path[0] != '/')
+		{
+			PQExpBufferData fullpath;
+			char *pwd = NULL;
+
+			initPQExpBuffer(&fullpath);
+
+			/*
+			 * we'll attempt to use $PWD to derive the effective path; getcwd()
+			 * will likely resolve symlinks, which may result in a path which
+			 * isn't permanent (e.g. if filesystem mountpoints change).
+			 */
+			pwd = getenv("PWD");
+
+			if (pwd != NULL)
+			{
+				appendPQExpBuffer(&fullpath,
+								  "%s", pwd);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				/* $PWD not available - fall back to getcwd() */
+				char cwd[MAXPGPATH] = "";
+
+				if (getcwd(cwd, MAXPGPATH) == NULL)
+				{
+					log_error(_("unable to execute getcwd()"));
+					log_detail("%s", strerror(errno));
+
+					termPQExpBuffer(&fullpath);
+					exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+				}
+
+				appendPQExpBuffer(&fullpath,
+								  "%s",
+								  cwd);
+			}
+
+			appendPQExpBuffer(&fullpath,
+							  "/%s", config_file_path);
+
+			log_debug("relative configuration file converted to:\n  \"%s\"",
+					  fullpath.data);
+
+			strncpy(config_file_path, fullpath.data, MAXPGPATH);
+
+			termPQExpBuffer(&fullpath);
+
+			canonicalize_path(config_file_path);
+		}
+
+
 		if (stat(config_file_path, &stat_config) != 0)
 		{
 			log_error(_("provided configuration file \"%s\" not found: %s"),
@@ -81,6 +134,7 @@ load_config(const char *config_file, bool verbose, bool terse, t_configuration_o
 			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 		}
 
+
 		if (verbose == true)
 		{
 			log_notice(_("using provided configuration file \"%s\""), config_file);
diff --git a/doc/configuration-file.sgml b/doc/configuration-file.sgml
index 9c2c1a84..6b097e72 100644
--- a/doc/configuration-file.sgml
+++ b/doc/configuration-file.sgml
@@ -48,4 +48,17 @@
    reading the wrong configuraton file.
   </para>
 
+  <note>
+    <para>
+      If providing the configuration file location with <literal>-f/--config-file</literal>,
+      avoid using a relative path, particularly when executing <xref linkend="repmgr-primary-register">
+      and <xref linkend="repmgr-standby-register">, as &repmgr; stores the configuration file location
+      in the repmgr metadata for use when &repmgr; is executed remotely (e.g. during
+      <xref linkend="repmgr-standby-switchover">). &repmgr; will attempt to convert the
+      a relative path into an absolute one, but this may not be the same as the path you
+      would explicitly provide (e.g. <filename>./repmgr.conf</filename> might be converted
+      to <filename>/path/to/./repmgr.conf</filename>, whereas you'd normally write
+      <filename>/path/to/repmgr.conf</filename>).
+    </para>
+  </note>
 </sect1>
diff --git a/doc/repmgr-primary-register.sgml b/doc/repmgr-primary-register.sgml
index 08208e79..34f78725 100644
--- a/doc/repmgr-primary-register.sgml
+++ b/doc/repmgr-primary-register.sgml
@@ -15,4 +15,18 @@
    <command>repmgr master register</command> can be used as an alias for
    <command>repmgr primary register</command>.
   </para>
+
+  <note>
+    <para>
+      If providing the configuration file location with <literal>-f/--config-file</literal>,
+      avoid using a relative path, as &repmgr; stores the configuration file location
+      in the repmgr metadata for use when &repmgr; is executed remotely (e.g. during
+      <xref linkend="repmgr-standby-switchover">). &repmgr; will attempt to convert the
+      a relative path into an absolute one, but this may not be the same as the path you
+      would explicitly provide (e.g. <filename>./repmgr.conf</filename> might be converted
+      to <filename>/path/to/./repmgr.conf</filename>, whereas you'd normally write
+      <filename>/path/to/repmgr.conf</filename>).
+    </para>
+  </note>
+
 </chapter>
diff --git a/doc/repmgr-standby-register.sgml b/doc/repmgr-standby-register.sgml
index 6f553bf6..03628d22 100644
--- a/doc/repmgr-standby-register.sgml
+++ b/doc/repmgr-standby-register.sgml
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@
    standby.
   </para>
 
+  <note>
+    <para>
+      If providing the configuration file location with <literal>-f/--config-file</literal>,
+      avoid using a relative path, as &repmgr; stores the configuration file location
+      in the repmgr metadata for use when &repmgr; is executed remotely (e.g. during
+      <xref linkend="repmgr-standby-switchover">). &repmgr; will attempt to convert the
+      a relative path into an absolute one, but this may not be the same as the path you
+      would explicitly provide (e.g. <filename>./repmgr.conf</filename> might be converted
+      to <filename>/path/to/./repmgr.conf</filename>, whereas you'd normally write
+      <filename>/path/to/repmgr.conf</filename>).
+    </para>
+  </note>
+
   <sect1 id="repmgr-standby-register-wait" xreflabel="repmgr standby register --wait">
    <title>Waiting for the registration to propagate to the standby</title>
    <para>