diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # shake-futhark
 
+## 0.1.0.2
+
+  * Nice-ify paths before `need`-ing them
+
 ## 0.1.0.1
 
   * Fix bug
diff --git a/shake-futhark.cabal b/shake-futhark.cabal
--- a/shake-futhark.cabal
+++ b/shake-futhark.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:   1.18
 name:            shake-futhark
-version:         0.1.0.1
+version:         0.1.0.2
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 copyright:       Copyright: (c) 2020 Vanessa McHale
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
         shake -any,
         text -any,
         filepath -any,
-        containers >=0.6
+        containers >=0.6,
+        directory -any
 
     if impl(ghc >=8.0)
         ghc-options:
diff --git a/src/Development/Shake/Futhark.hs b/src/Development/Shake/Futhark.hs
--- a/src/Development/Shake/Futhark.hs
+++ b/src/Development/Shake/Futhark.hs
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
                                  , needFut
                                  ) where
 
+import           Control.Monad             ((<=<))
 import           Control.Monad.IO.Class    (liftIO)
 import           Data.Containers.ListUtils (nubOrd)
 import qualified Data.Text.IO              as TIO
 import           Development.Shake         (Action, need)
 import           Language.Futhark.Parser   (parseFuthark)
 import           Language.Futhark.Syntax   (DecBase (..), ModBindBase (ModBind), ModExpBase (..), ProgBase (Prog))
+import           System.Directory          (canonicalizePath, makeRelativeToCurrentDirectory)
 import           System.FilePath           (takeDirectory, (<.>), (</>))
 
 -- | @'need'@ a file and all its dependencies
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@
     need =<< liftIO (mconcat . (fps :) <$> traverse getAllFutDeps fps)
 
 getFutDeps :: FilePath -> IO [FilePath]
-getFutDeps fp = do
+getFutDeps fp = traverse canonicalizeRelative =<< do
     contents <- TIO.readFile fp
     let dirFile = takeDirectory fp
         parsed = either (error.show) id $ parseFuthark fp contents
@@ -30,6 +32,9 @@
     level <- traverse getAllFutDeps deps
     let next = nubOrd (concat (deps : level))
     pure $ if null level then deps else next
+
+canonicalizeRelative :: FilePath -> IO FilePath
+canonicalizeRelative = makeRelativeToCurrentDirectory <=< canonicalizePath
 
 extractFromProgBase :: ProgBase f vn -> [FilePath]
 extractFromProgBase (Prog _ ds) = concatMap extractFromDecBase ds