diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index a57dd79..b76f6c1 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ multistrap (2.1.13) unstable; urgency=low
   * Fix device-table.pl to use correct minor device number in
     iterative mode (Closes: #615819)
   * Disable SecureApt if fakeroot is detected.
+  * Protect device-table.pl realpath usage to allow relative
+    directories.
 
- -- Neil Williams <codehelp@debian.org>  Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:17:33 +0000
+ -- Neil Williams <codehelp@debian.org>  Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:25:53 +0000
 
 multistrap (2.1.12) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/device-table.pl b/device-table.pl
index af57790..e53f258 100755
--- a/device-table.pl
+++ b/device-table.pl
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ if ($e !~ /\nFAKEROOTKEY=[0-9]+\n/) {
 } else {
 	$fakeroot="";
 }
+# cope with people getting things wrong from local SVN (not a translated string).
+if (dirname($0) ne "/usr/sbin/") {
+	print "checking realpath\n";
+	my $realpath = `which realpath`;
+	chomp ($realpath);
+	die ("ERR: Please install realpath.\n") if (not -x ($realpath));
+}
 while( @ARGV ) {
 	$_= shift( @ARGV );
 	last if m/^--$/;
@@ -54,6 +61,8 @@ while( @ARGV ) {
 		$file = shift(@ARGV);
 	} elsif (/^(-d|--dir)$/) {
 		$dir = shift(@ARGV);
+		$dir = `realpath $dir`;
+		chomp($dir);
 	} elsif (/^(-n|--dry-run)$/) {
 		$dry++;
 	} elsif (/^(--no-fakeroot)$/) {