diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configcommands.py b/qutebrowser/config/configcommands.py
index 340175f23..f659b14d7 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configcommands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configcommands.py
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ class ConfigCommands:
         if filename is None:
             filename = os.path.join(standarddir.config(), 'config.py')
         else:
+            if not os.path.isabs(filename):
+                filename = os.path.join(standarddir.config(), filename)
             filename = os.path.expanduser(filename)
 
         if os.path.exists(filename) and not force:
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/test_configcommands.py b/tests/unit/config/test_configcommands.py
index 0fd1b6680..40a69668a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/test_configcommands.py
+++ b/tests/unit/config/test_configcommands.py
@@ -388,6 +388,12 @@ class TestWritePy:
         lines = confpy.read_text('utf-8').splitlines()
         assert '# Autogenerated config.py' in lines
 
+    def test_relative_path(self, commands, config_tmpdir):
+        confpy = config_tmpdir / 'config2.py'
+        commands.config_write_py('config2.py')
+        lines = confpy.read_text('utf-8').splitlines()
+        assert '# Autogenerated config.py' in lines
+
     def test_existing_file(self, commands, tmpdir):
         confpy = tmpdir / 'config.py'
         confpy.ensure()