diff --git a/src/node/utils/Settings.js b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
index 8b17a6d34..f30050337 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/Settings.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
@@ -177,7 +177,11 @@ exports.abiwordAvailable = function()
 exports.reloadSettings = function reloadSettings() {
   // Discover where the settings file lives
   var settingsFilename = argv.settings || "settings.json";
-  settingsFilename = path.resolve(path.join(exports.root, settingsFilename));
+
+  if (path.resolve(settingsFilename)===settingsFilename)
+    settingsFilename = path.resolve(settingsFilename);
+  else
+    settingsFilename = path.resolve(path.join(exports.root, settingsFilename));
 
   var settingsStr;
   try{