diff --git a/src/apps/import.cpp b/src/apps/import.cpp
index 6d457763a..a31771ce8 100644
--- a/src/apps/import.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/import.cpp
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ class import_parameters
 		// For micrographs or movies
 		if (do_movies || do_micrographs)
 		{
-			if (fn_in.rfind("../", 0) == 0)
+			if (fn_in.rfind("../") != std::string::npos) // Forbid at any place
 				REPORT_ERROR("Please don't import files outside the project directory.\nPlease make a symbolic link by an absolute path before importing.");
 
-			if (fn_in.rfind("/", 0) == 0)
+			if (fn_in.rfind("/", 0) == 0) // Forbid only at the beginning
 				REPORT_ERROR("Please import files by a relative path.\nIf you want to import files outside the project directory, make a symbolic link by an absolute path and\nimport the symbolic link by a relative path.");
 
 			std::string tablename = (do_movies) ? "movies" : "micrographs";
diff --git a/src/pipeline_jobs.cpp b/src/pipeline_jobs.cpp
index 986cf50f1..46c54b5da 100644
--- a/src/pipeline_jobs.cpp
+++ b/src/pipeline_jobs.cpp
@@ -1127,13 +1127,13 @@ bool RelionJob::getCommandsImportJob(std::string &outputname, std::vector<std::s
 	{
 		fn_in = joboptions["fn_in_raw"].getString();
 
-		if (fn_in.rfind("../", 0) == 0)
+		if (fn_in.rfind("../") != std::string::npos) // Forbid at any place
 		{
 			error_message = "ERROR: don't import files outside the project directory.\nPlease make a symbolic link by an absolute path before importing.";
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		if (fn_in.rfind("/", 0) == 0)
+		if (fn_in.rfind("/", 0) == 0) // Forbid only at the beginning
 		{
 			error_message = "ERROR: please import files by a relative path.\nIf you want to import files outside the project directory, make a symbolic link by an absolute path and\nimport the symbolic link by a relative path.";
 			return false;