diff --git a/qbsp/map.cc b/qbsp/map.cc
index 1d54cf76..f7bc9aef 100644
--- a/qbsp/map.cc
+++ b/qbsp/map.cc
@@ -212,12 +212,21 @@ const std::optional<img::texture_meta> &mapdata_t::load_image_meta(const std::st
 
 static std::shared_ptr<fs::archive_like> LoadTexturePath(const fs::path &path)
 {
-    if (qbsp_options.wadpaths.pathsValue().empty() || path.is_absolute()) {
+    // if absolute, don't try anything else
+    if (path.is_absolute()) {
         return fs::addArchive(path, false);
     }
 
+    // try wadpath (this includes relative to the .map file)
     for (auto &wadpath : qbsp_options.wadpaths.pathsValue()) {
-        return fs::addArchive(wadpath.path / path, wadpath.external);
+        if (auto archive = fs::addArchive(wadpath.path / path, wadpath.external)) {
+            return archive;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // try relative to cwd
+    if (auto archive = fs::addArchive(path, false)) {
+        return archive;
     }
 
     return nullptr;
diff --git a/testmaps/q1_cwd_relative_wad.map b/testmaps/q1_cwd_relative_wad.map
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6942c8bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testmaps/q1_cwd_relative_wad.map
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Game: Quake
+// Format: Valve
+// entity 0
+{
+"mapversion" "220"
+"classname" "worldspawn"
+"wad" "gfx/free_wad.wad"
+"_wateralpha" "0.5"
+"_tb_def" "builtin:Quake.fgd"
+// brush 0
+{
+( 32 -256 112 ) ( 32 -255 112 ) ( 32 -256 113 ) orangestuff8 [ 0 1 0 -16 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+( 64 -240 96 ) ( 63 -240 96 ) ( 64 -240 97 ) orangestuff8 [ -1 0 0 16 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 180 1 1
+( 64 -576 80 ) ( 64 -575 80 ) ( 63 -576 80 ) orangestuff8 [ 1 0 0 -16 ] [ 0 -1 0 16 ] 180 1 1
+( -16 -256 112 ) ( -17 -256 112 ) ( -16 -255 112 ) orangestuff8 [ -1 0 0 16 ] [ 0 -1 0 16 ] 180 1 1
+( -16 -144 112 ) ( -16 -144 113 ) ( -17 -144 112 ) orangestuff8 [ 1 0 0 -16 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 180 1 1
+( 80 -576 96 ) ( 80 -576 97 ) ( 80 -575 96 ) orangestuff8 [ 0 -1 0 16 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+}
+}
+// entity 1
+{
+"classname" "info_player_start"
+"origin" "56 -208 136"
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_qbsp.cc b/tests/test_qbsp.cc
index 39e3e02e..9686d430 100644
--- a/tests/test_qbsp.cc
+++ b/tests/test_qbsp.cc
@@ -1673,3 +1673,34 @@ TEST_CASE("q1_water_subdivision with defaults")
         CHECK(texinfo->flags.native == 0);
     }
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("textures search relative to current directory")
+{
+    // QuArK runs the compilers like this:
+    //
+    // working directory: "c:\quake\tmpquark"
+    // command line:      "maps\something.map"
+    // worldspawn key:    "wad" "gfx/quark.wad"
+    // wad located in:    "c:\quake\tmpquark\gfx\quark.wad"
+
+    auto target_gfx_dir = fs::current_path() / "gfx";
+
+    fs::create_directory(target_gfx_dir);
+
+    try {
+        fs::copy(std::filesystem::path(testmaps_dir) / "deprecated" / "free_wad.wad", target_gfx_dir);
+    } catch (const fs::filesystem_error &e) {
+        logging::print("{}\n", e.what());
+    }
+
+    const auto [bsp, bspx, prt] = LoadTestmapQ1("q1_cwd_relative_wad.map");
+    REQUIRE(2 == bsp.dtex.textures.size());
+    // FIXME: we shouldn't really be writing skip
+    CHECK("skip" == bsp.dtex.textures[0].name);
+
+    // make sure the texture was written
+    CHECK("orangestuff8" == bsp.dtex.textures[1].name);
+    CHECK(64 == bsp.dtex.textures[1].width);
+    CHECK(64 == bsp.dtex.textures[1].height);
+    CHECK(bsp.dtex.textures[1].data.size() > 0);
+}