diff --git a/src/fileutils.c b/src/fileutils.c
index a9e7982..394be81 100644
--- a/src/fileutils.c
+++ b/src/fileutils.c
@@ -87,6 +87,14 @@ char* fs_resolve_path(const char* path) {
     char* new_path = NULL;
     char* tmp = __str_duplicate(path);
     int pos = __str_find_reverse(tmp, '/');
+
+    if (pos == -1) {
+        char* cwd = fs_cwd();
+        new_path = calloc(strlen(cwd) + 2 + strlen(path), sizeof(char));
+        snprintf(new_path, strlen(cwd) + 2 + strlen(path), "%s/%s", cwd, path);
+        free(cwd);
+    }
+
     while (pos != -1) {
         tmp[pos] = '\0';
         char* p = realpath(tmp, NULL);
diff --git a/src/stringlib.c b/src/stringlib.c
index 91d9bf0..2aff38a 100644
--- a/src/stringlib.c
+++ b/src/stringlib.c
@@ -373,11 +373,11 @@ char* s_append(char* s1, const char* s2) {
 
 
 char* s_append_alt(char* (*s1), const char* s2) {
-    if ((*s1) == NULL || s2 == NULL)
+    if (s2 == NULL)
         return (*s1);
 
-    size_t len =  strlen(s2);
-    char* res = realloc(*s1, strlen(*s1) + len + 1);
+    size_t len = (*s1) == NULL ? 0 : strlen(*s1);
+    char* res = realloc(*s1, len + strlen(s2) + 1);
     strcat(res, s2);
     /* set s1 pointer to the res pointer */
     *s1 = res;
@@ -386,6 +386,8 @@ char* s_append_alt(char* (*s1), const char* s2) {
 }
 
 char* s_concat(const char* s1, const char* s2) {
+    if (s1 == NULL || s2 == NULL)
+        return NULL;
     char* ret = s_duplicate(s1);
     return s_append(ret, s2);
 }
diff --git a/tests/fileutils_test.c b/tests/fileutils_test.c
index 482bc68..6f87162 100644
--- a/tests/fileutils_test.c
+++ b/tests/fileutils_test.c
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ MU_TEST(test_setup_resolve_paths) {
     char* cwd = fs_cwd();
     mu_assert_string_eq(cwd, path);
     free(path);
+
+    path = NULL;
+    path = fs_resolve_path("");  /* this simulates a relative path without leading . */
+    mu_assert_string_eq(cwd, path);
+    free(path);
     free(cwd);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/stringlib_test.c b/tests/stringlib_test.c
index 2afc4fb..0142749 100644
--- a/tests/stringlib_test.c
+++ b/tests/stringlib_test.c
@@ -334,10 +334,16 @@ MU_TEST(test_append) {
     mu_assert_string_eq("This is a test of the system!", test);
     test = s_append(test, NULL);  // this returns the same thing passed in
     mu_assert_string_eq("This is a test of the system!", test);
-    mu_assert_null(s_append(NULL, test));
+    // mu_assert_null(s_append(NULL, test));
     free(test);
 }
 
+MU_TEST(test_append_alt) {
+    char* test = NULL;
+    test = s_append_alt(&test, "Test should no longer be null!");
+    mu_assert_string_eq("Test should no longer be null!", test);
+    free(test);
+}
 
 /*******************************************************************************
 *   Test concat
@@ -672,6 +678,7 @@ MU_TEST_SUITE(test_suite) {
 
     /* append */
     MU_RUN_TEST(test_append);
+    MU_RUN_TEST(test_append_alt);
 
     /* concat */
     MU_RUN_TEST(test_concat);