diff --git a/library/files/file b/library/files/file
index e25278fded7..9d6374ee569 100644
--- a/library/files/file
+++ b/library/files/file
@@ -257,8 +257,8 @@ def main():
         else:
             relpath = os.path.dirname(path)
 
-        absrc = os.path.normpath('%s/%s' % (relpath, os.path.basename(src)))
-        if not os.path.exists(src) and not os.path.exists(absrc) and not force:
+        absrc = os.path.join(relpath, src)
+        if not os.path.exists(absrc) and not force:
             module.fail_json(path=path, src=src, msg='src file does not exist, use "force=yes" if you really want to create the link: %s' % absrc)
 
         if state == 'hard':
diff --git a/test/integration/roles/test_file/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/roles/test_file/tasks/main.yml
index 3c3bc81ea1e..26de23b1caa 100644
--- a/test/integration/roles/test_file/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/roles/test_file/tasks/main.yml
@@ -252,6 +252,43 @@
       - 'file17_result.failed == true'
       - 'file17_result.state == "directory"'
 
+- name: create soft link to directory using absolute path
+  file: src=/ dest={{output_dir}}/root state=link
+  register: file18_result
+
+- name: verify that the result was marked as changed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "file18_result.changed == true"
+
+- name: create another test sub-directory
+  file: dest={{output_dir}}/sub2 state=directory
+  register: file19_result
+
+- name: verify that the new directory was created
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - 'file19_result.changed == true'
+      - 'file19_result.state == "directory"'
+
+- name: create soft link to relative file
+  file: src=../sub1/file1 dest={{output_dir}}/sub2/link1 state=link
+  register: file20_result
+
+- name: verify that the result was marked as changed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "file20_result.changed == true"
+
+- name: create soft link to relative directory
+  file: src=sub1 dest={{output_dir}}/sub1-link state=link
+  register: file21_result
+
+- name: verify that the result was marked as changed
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "file21_result.changed == true"
+
 - name: test file creation with symbolic mode
   file: dest={{output_dir}}/test_symbolic state=touch mode=u=rwx,g=rwx,o=rwx
   register: result