diff --git a/libs/autofile/autofile.go b/libs/autofile/autofile.go
index 3a6244894..061726f7d 100644
--- a/libs/autofile/autofile.go
+++ b/libs/autofile/autofile.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package autofile
 import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -57,6 +58,11 @@ type AutoFile struct {
 // an error, it will be of type *PathError or *ErrPermissionsChanged (if file's
 // permissions got changed (should be 0600)).
 func OpenAutoFile(path string) (*AutoFile, error) {
+	var err error
+	path, err = filepath.Abs(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	af := &AutoFile{
 		ID:               tmrand.Str(12) + ":" + path,
 		Path:             path,
diff --git a/libs/autofile/autofile_test.go b/libs/autofile/autofile_test.go
index 664264cdc..24ca6343d 100644
--- a/libs/autofile/autofile_test.go
+++ b/libs/autofile/autofile_test.go
@@ -3,26 +3,34 @@ package autofile
 import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	tmos "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/os"
 )
 
 func TestSIGHUP(t *testing.T) {
-	// First, create an AutoFile writing to a tempfile dir
-	file, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "sighup_test")
+	origDir, err := os.Getwd()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.Chdir(origDir)
+
+	// First, create a temporary directory and move into it
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "sighup_test")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	err = file.Close()
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	err = os.Chdir(dir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	name := file.Name()
 
-	// Here is the actual AutoFile
+	// Create an AutoFile in the temporary directory
+	name := "sighup_test"
 	af, err := OpenAutoFile(name)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, filepath.IsAbs(af.Path))
 
 	// Write to the file.
 	_, err = af.Write([]byte("Line 1\n"))
@@ -34,6 +42,13 @@ func TestSIGHUP(t *testing.T) {
 	err = os.Rename(name, name+"_old")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	// Move into a different temporary directory
+	otherDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "sighup_test_other")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(otherDir)
+	err = os.Chdir(otherDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
 	// Send SIGHUP to self.
 	syscall.Kill(syscall.Getpid(), syscall.SIGHUP)
 
@@ -49,12 +64,17 @@ func TestSIGHUP(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// Both files should exist
-	if body := tmos.MustReadFile(name + "_old"); string(body) != "Line 1\nLine 2\n" {
+	if body := tmos.MustReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, name+"_old")); string(body) != "Line 1\nLine 2\n" {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected body %s", body)
 	}
-	if body := tmos.MustReadFile(name); string(body) != "Line 3\nLine 4\n" {
+	if body := tmos.MustReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, name)); string(body) != "Line 3\nLine 4\n" {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected body %s", body)
 	}
+
+	// The current directory should be empty
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(".")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, files)
 }
 
 // // Manually modify file permissions, close, and reopen using autofile:
diff --git a/libs/autofile/group.go b/libs/autofile/group.go
index e859149b9..ca9f57003 100644
--- a/libs/autofile/group.go
+++ b/libs/autofile/group.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
@@ -79,7 +78,10 @@ type Group struct {
 // OpenGroup creates a new Group with head at headPath. It returns an error if
 // it fails to open head file.
 func OpenGroup(headPath string, groupOptions ...func(*Group)) (g *Group, err error) {
-	dir := path.Dir(headPath)
+	dir, err := filepath.Abs(filepath.Dir(headPath))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	head, err := OpenAutoFile(headPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/libs/autofile/group_test.go b/libs/autofile/group_test.go
index a91ef0633..de29a0fba 100644
--- a/libs/autofile/group_test.go
+++ b/libs/autofile/group_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -105,6 +106,23 @@ func TestCheckHeadSizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestRotateFile(t *testing.T) {
 	g := createTestGroupWithHeadSizeLimit(t, 0)
+
+	// Create a different temporary directory and move into it, to make sure
+	// relative paths are resolved at Group creation
+	origDir, err := os.Getwd()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.Chdir(origDir)
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rotate_test")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	err = os.Chdir(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.True(t, filepath.IsAbs(g.Head.Path))
+	require.True(t, filepath.IsAbs(g.Dir))
+
+	// Create and rotate files
 	g.WriteLine("Line 1")
 	g.WriteLine("Line 2")
 	g.WriteLine("Line 3")
@@ -129,6 +147,11 @@ func TestRotateFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("got unexpected contents: [%v]", string(body2))
 	}
 
+	// Make sure there are no files in the current, temporary directory
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(".")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, files)
+
 	// Cleanup
 	destroyTestGroup(t, g)
 }