diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 6e807c4919..0e81f2f952 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1255,6 +1255,7 @@ virFilePrintf;
 virFileReadAll;
 virFileReadHeaderFD;
 virFileReadLimFD;
+virFileRelLinkPointsTo;
 virFileResolveAllLinks;
 virFileResolveLink;
 virFileRewrite;
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index a28cbf1441..3eb2703c0d 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -1368,7 +1368,8 @@ virFileHasSuffix(const char *str,
    && (Stat_buf_1).st_dev == (Stat_buf_2).st_dev)
 
 /* Return nonzero if checkLink and checkDest
-   refer to the same file.  Otherwise, return 0.  */
+ * refer to the same file.  Otherwise, return 0.
+ */
 int
 virFileLinkPointsTo(const char *checkLink,
                     const char *checkDest)
@@ -1382,6 +1383,35 @@ virFileLinkPointsTo(const char *checkLink,
 }
 
 
+/* Return positive if checkLink (residing within directory if not
+ * absolute) and checkDest refer to the same file.  Otherwise, return
+ * -1 on allocation failure (error reported), or 0 if not the same
+ * (silent).
+ */
+int
+virFileRelLinkPointsTo(const char *directory,
+                       const char *checkLink,
+                       const char *checkDest)
+{
+    char *candidate;
+    int ret;
+
+    if (*checkLink == '/')
+        return virFileLinkPointsTo(checkLink, checkDest);
+    if (!directory) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       _("cannot resolve '%s' without starting directory"),
+                       checkLink);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    if (virAsprintf(&candidate, "%s/%s", directory, checkLink) < 0)
+        return -1;
+    ret = virFileLinkPointsTo(candidate, checkDest);
+    VIR_FREE(candidate);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 static int
 virFileResolveLinkHelper(const char *linkpath,
                          bool intermediatePaths,
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.h b/src/util/virfile.h
index 638378a2af..46ef781479 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.h
+++ b/src/util/virfile.h
@@ -143,7 +143,12 @@ int virFileStripSuffix(char *str,
                        const char *suffix) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 int virFileLinkPointsTo(const char *checkLink,
-                        const char *checkDest);
+                        const char *checkDest)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
+int virFileRelLinkPointsTo(const char *directory,
+                           const char *checkLink,
+                           const char *checkDest)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3);
 
 int virFileResolveLink(const char *linkpath,
                        char **resultpath) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
diff --git a/src/xen/xm_internal.c b/src/xen/xm_internal.c
index 52d2a1e039..f25a7df6de 100644
--- a/src/xen/xm_internal.c
+++ b/src/xen/xm_internal.c
@@ -1427,25 +1427,24 @@ int
 xenXMDomainGetAutostart(virDomainDefPtr def,
                         int *autostart)
 {
-    char *linkname = xenXMAutostartLinkName(def);
     char *config = xenXMDomainConfigName(def);
     int ret = -1;
 
-    if (!linkname || !config)
+    if (!config)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    *autostart = virFileLinkPointsTo(linkname, config);
+    *autostart = virFileRelLinkPointsTo("/etc/xen/auto/", def->name, config);
     if (*autostart < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             _("cannot check link %s points to config %s"),
-                             linkname, config);
+                             _("cannot check link /etc/xen/auto/%s points "
+                               "to config %s"),
+                             def->name, config);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    VIR_FREE(linkname);
     VIR_FREE(config);
     return ret;
 }