diff --git a/src/common.rs b/src/common.rs
index bd40e76687..49c76afd2f 100644
--- a/src/common.rs
+++ b/src/common.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub(crate) use snafu::{ResultExt, Snafu};
 pub(crate) use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthChar;
 
 // modules
-pub(crate) use crate::{config_error, keyword, search_error, setting};
+pub(crate) use crate::{config_error, keyword, setting};
 
 // functions
 pub(crate) use crate::{default::default, empty::empty, load_dotenv::load_dotenv, output::output};
diff --git a/src/config_error.rs b/src/config_error.rs
index 809b3dabf0..bc79bd57b2 100644
--- a/src/config_error.rs
+++ b/src/config_error.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ pub(crate) enum ConfigError {
     message
   ))]
   Internal { message: String },
-  #[snafu(display("Could not canonicalize justfile path `{}`: {}", path.display(), source))]
-  JustfilePathCanonicalize { path: PathBuf, source: io::Error },
   #[snafu(display("Failed to get current directory: {}", source))]
   CurrentDir { source: io::Error },
   #[snafu(display(
diff --git a/src/search.rs b/src/search.rs
index 6db3003592..4d6ead7c43 100644
--- a/src/search.rs
+++ b/src/search.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use crate::common::*;
 
+use std::path::Component;
+
 const FILENAME: &str = "justfile";
 
 pub(crate) struct Search {
@@ -25,12 +27,7 @@ impl Search {
       }
 
       SearchConfig::FromSearchDirectory { search_directory } => {
-        let search_directory =
-          search_directory
-            .canonicalize()
-            .context(search_error::Canonicalize {
-              path: search_directory,
-            })?;
+        let search_directory = Self::clean(invocation_directory, search_directory);
 
         let justfile = Self::justfile(&search_directory)?;
 
@@ -43,7 +40,7 @@ impl Search {
       }
 
       SearchConfig::WithJustfile { justfile } => {
-        let justfile: PathBuf = justfile.to_path_buf();
+        let justfile = Self::clean(invocation_directory, justfile);
 
         let working_directory = Self::working_directory_from_justfile(&justfile)?;
 
@@ -57,8 +54,8 @@ impl Search {
         justfile,
         working_directory,
       } => Ok(Search {
-        justfile: justfile.to_path_buf(),
-        working_directory: working_directory.to_path_buf(),
+        justfile: Self::clean(invocation_directory, justfile),
+        working_directory: Self::clean(invocation_directory, working_directory),
       }),
     }
   }
@@ -92,16 +89,30 @@ impl Search {
     }
   }
 
-  fn working_directory_from_justfile(justfile: &Path) -> SearchResult<PathBuf> {
-    let justfile_canonical = justfile
-      .canonicalize()
-      .context(search_error::Canonicalize { path: justfile })?;
+  fn clean(invocation_directory: &Path, path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+    let path = invocation_directory.join(path);
+
+    let mut clean = Vec::new();
+
+    for component in path.components() {
+      if component == Component::ParentDir {
+        if let Some(Component::Normal(_)) = clean.last() {
+          clean.pop();
+        }
+      } else {
+        clean.push(component);
+      }
+    }
+
+    clean.into_iter().collect()
+  }
 
+  fn working_directory_from_justfile(justfile: &Path) -> SearchResult<PathBuf> {
     Ok(
-      justfile_canonical
+      justfile
         .parent()
         .ok_or_else(|| SearchError::JustfileHadNoParent {
-          path: justfile_canonical.clone(),
+          path: justfile.to_path_buf(),
         })?
         .to_owned(),
     )
@@ -111,6 +122,7 @@ impl Search {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
   use super::*;
+  use test_utilities::tmptree;
 
   #[test]
   fn not_found() {
@@ -228,4 +240,51 @@ mod tests {
       _ => panic!("No errors were expected"),
     }
   }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn justfile_symlink_parent() {
+    let tmp = tmptree! {
+      src: "",
+      sub: {},
+    };
+
+    let src = tmp.path().join("src");
+    let sub = tmp.path().join("sub");
+    let justfile = sub.join("justfile");
+
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&src, &justfile).unwrap();
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    std::os::windows::fs::symlink_file(&src, &justfile).unwrap();
+
+    let search_config = SearchConfig::FromInvocationDirectory;
+
+    let search = Search::search(&search_config, &sub).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(search.justfile, justfile);
+    assert_eq!(search.working_directory, sub);
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn clean() {
+    let cases = &[
+      ("/", "foo", "/foo"),
+      ("/bar", "/foo", "/foo"),
+      ("//foo", "bar//baz", "/foo/bar/baz"),
+      ("/", "..", "/"),
+      ("/", "/..", "/"),
+      ("/..", "", "/"),
+      ("/../../../..", "../../../", "/"),
+      ("/.", "./", "/"),
+      ("/foo/../", "bar", "/bar"),
+      ("/foo/bar", "..", "/foo"),
+      ("/foo/bar/", "..", "/foo"),
+    ];
+
+    for (prefix, suffix, want) in cases {
+      let have = Search::clean(Path::new(prefix), Path::new(suffix));
+      assert_eq!(have, Path::new(want));
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/search_error.rs b/src/search_error.rs
index d35f83d537..ba9ea64796 100644
--- a/src/search_error.rs
+++ b/src/search_error.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ pub(crate) enum SearchError {
         .map(|candidate| candidate.file_name().unwrap().to_string_lossy())
     ),
   ))]
-  MultipleCandidates {
-    candidates: Vec<PathBuf>,
-  },
+  MultipleCandidates { candidates: Vec<PathBuf> },
   #[snafu(display(
     "I/O error reading directory `{}`: {}",
     directory.display(),
@@ -26,13 +24,8 @@ pub(crate) enum SearchError {
   },
   #[snafu(display("No justfile found"))]
   NotFound,
-  Canonicalize {
-    path: PathBuf,
-    source: io::Error,
-  },
-  JustfileHadNoParent {
-    path: PathBuf,
-  },
+  #[snafu(display("Justfile path had no parent: {}", path.display()))]
+  JustfileHadNoParent { path: PathBuf },
 }
 
 impl Error for SearchError {}