diff --git a/core/relinker/relinker/src/guest/GuestModuleBuilder.cpp b/core/relinker/relinker/src/guest/GuestModuleBuilder.cpp
index de2662f6a..1043171b6 100644
--- a/core/relinker/relinker/src/guest/GuestModuleBuilder.cpp
+++ b/core/relinker/relinker/src/guest/GuestModuleBuilder.cpp
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ std::vector<GuestArtifact> GuestModuleBuilder::Build(const std::filesystem::path
     };
     for (const auto index : order) if (!windows && !deferred(index)) addNeeded("$ORIGIN/" + appDirectory(images[index]) + "/" + images[index].OutputName);
     for (const auto& name : hostLibraries) addNeeded(name);
-    if (!windows && runPath != "$ORIGIN" && !runPath.starts_with("$ORIGIN/") && !runPath.starts_with("$ORIGIN:") && !std::filesystem::path(runPath).is_absolute()) throw Domain::RelinkerException("Guest Linux run path must be absolute or begin with $ORIGIN");
+    if (!windows && runPath != "$ORIGIN" && !runPath.starts_with("$ORIGIN/") && !runPath.starts_with("$ORIGIN:") && !runPath.starts_with('/')) throw Domain::RelinkerException("Guest Linux run path must be absolute or begin with $ORIGIN");
     const auto outputDirectory = outputPath.parent_path().lexically_normal();
     std::vector<GuestArtifact> artifacts;
     for (const auto index : order) {
diff --git a/core/relinker/relinker/tests/test_guest_runpath.py b/core/relinker/relinker/tests/test_guest_runpath.py
index 754fee90a..e5238ab66 100644
--- a/core/relinker/relinker/tests/test_guest_runpath.py
+++ b/core/relinker/relinker/tests/test_guest_runpath.py
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ def main():
         checked = 0
         for index, module_directory in enumerate(("sce_module", "prx")):
             for label, run_path in (("default", None), ("origin", "$ORIGIN"),
-                                    ("custom", "$ORIGIN/host libs"), ("absolute", str(work / "absolute libs")),
+                                    ("custom", "$ORIGIN/host libs"), ("absolute", "/opt/absolute libs"),
+                                    ("absolute-root", "/"), ("absolute-list", "/opt/libs:/usr/local/lib"),
                                     ("list", "$ORIGIN/first:$ORIGIN/second"),
                                     ("list-bare", "$ORIGIN:$ORIGIN/libs:$ORIGIN")):
                 case = work / f"{index}-{label}"
@@ -43,13 +44,21 @@ def main():
                     assert 0 <= offset < len(strings) and end >= 0, (tags, strings)
                     actual = strings[offset:end].decode()
                     configured = run_path if run_path is not None else "$ORIGIN/libs"
-                    configured_paths = configured.split(":") if label.startswith("list") else [configured]
-                    actual_paths = actual.split(":") if label.startswith("list") else [actual]
+                    path_list = label.startswith("list") or label == "absolute-list"
+                    configured_paths = configured.split(":") if path_list else [configured]
+                    actual_paths = actual.split(":") if path_list else [actual]
                     expected = [Path(path.replace("$ORIGIN", str(output.parent))).resolve() for path in configured_paths]
                     resolved = [Path(path.replace("$ORIGIN", str(artifact.parent))).resolve() for path in actual_paths]
-                    if resolved != expected or (label == "absolute" and actual != run_path):
+                    if resolved != expected or (label.startswith("absolute") and actual != run_path):
                         failures.append((str(relative), label, actual, str(resolved), str(expected)))
                     checked += 1
+        for index, run_path in enumerate(("relative/libs", "C:/host/libs", "C:\\host\\libs", "\\\\server\\share")):
+            output = work / f"invalid-{index}.elf"
+            result = subprocess.run([str(relinker), "--rpath", run_path, str(source), str(output)],
+                                    capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=20)
+            assert result.returncode == 2 and "run path must be absolute or begin with $ORIGIN" in result.stderr, (
+                run_path, result.returncode, result.stdout, result.stderr)
+            assert not output.exists()
         assert not failures, failures
         print(f"Guest run path tests passed: {checked} module/path combinations")