diff --git a/lib/fork.js b/lib/fork.js
index b9bc5cfaf..3affd0795 100644
--- a/lib/fork.js
+++ b/lib/fork.js
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@ var debug = require('debug')('ava');
 var AvaError = require('./ava-error');
 var send = require('./send');
 
+var env = process.env;
+
+if (process.env.NODE_PATH) {
+	var nodePath = process.env.NODE_PATH
+		.split(path.delimiter)
+		.map(function (p) {
+			return path.resolve(p);
+		})
+		.join(path.delimiter);
+
+	env = objectAssign({
+		NODE_PATH: nodePath
+	}, env);
+}
+
 module.exports = function (file, opts) {
 	opts = objectAssign({
 		file: file,
@@ -18,7 +33,8 @@ module.exports = function (file, opts) {
 
 	var ps = childProcess.fork(path.join(__dirname, 'test-worker.js'), [JSON.stringify(opts)], {
 		cwd: path.dirname(file),
-		silent: true
+		silent: true,
+		env: env
 	});
 
 	var relFile = path.relative('.', file);
diff --git a/test/cli.js b/test/cli.js
index b63932a83..555f8b0c7 100644
--- a/test/cli.js
+++ b/test/cli.js
@@ -8,16 +8,19 @@ var arrify = require('arrify');
 var touch = require('touch');
 var cliPath = path.join(__dirname, '../cli.js');
 
-function execCli(args, dirname, cb) {
-	if (typeof dirname === 'function') {
-		cb = dirname;
+function execCli(args, opts, cb) {
+	var dirname;
+	var env;
+
+	if (typeof opts === 'function') {
+		cb = opts;
 		dirname = __dirname;
+		env = {};
 	} else {
-		dirname = path.join(__dirname, dirname);
+		dirname = path.join(__dirname, opts.dirname ? opts.dirname : '');
+		env = opts.env || {};
 	}
 
-	var env = {};
-
 	if (process.env.AVA_APPVEYOR) {
 		env.AVA_APPVEYOR = 1;
 	}
@@ -95,21 +98,21 @@ test('log failed tests', function (t) {
 });
 
 test('pkg-conf: defaults', function (t) {
-	execCli([], 'fixture/pkg-conf/defaults', function (err) {
+	execCli([], {dirname: 'fixture/pkg-conf/defaults'}, function (err) {
 		t.ifError(err);
 		t.end();
 	});
 });
 
 test('pkg-conf: pkg-overrides', function (t) {
-	execCli([], 'fixture/pkg-conf/pkg-overrides', function (err) {
+	execCli([], {dirname: 'fixture/pkg-conf/pkg-overrides'}, function (err) {
 		t.ifError(err);
 		t.end();
 	});
 });
 
 test('pkg-conf: cli takes precedence', function (t) {
-	execCli(['--no-serial', '--cache', '--no-fail-fast', '--require=./required.js', 'c.js'], 'fixture/pkg-conf/precedence', function (err) {
+	execCli(['--no-serial', '--cache', '--no-fail-fast', '--require=./required.js', 'c.js'], {dirname: 'fixture/pkg-conf/precedence'}, function (err) {
 		t.ifError(err);
 		t.end();
 	});
@@ -124,7 +127,7 @@ test('watcher works', function (t) {
 		hasChokidar = true;
 	} catch (err) {}
 
-	var child = execCli(['--verbose', '--watch', 'test.js'], 'fixture/watcher', function (err, stdout) {
+	var child = execCli(['--verbose', '--watch', 'test.js'], {dirname: 'fixture/watcher'}, function (err, stdout) {
 		if (err && err.code === 1 && !hasChokidar) {
 			t.comment('chokidar dependency is missing, cannot test watcher');
 			t.match(stdout, 'The optional dependency chokidar failed to install and is required for --watch. Chokidar is likely not supported on your platform.');
@@ -155,3 +158,11 @@ test('watcher works', function (t) {
 		}
 	});
 });
+
+test('handles NODE_PATH', function (t) {
+	var nodePaths = 'node-paths/modules' + path.delimiter + 'node-paths/deep/nested';
+	execCli('fixture/node-paths.js', {env: {NODE_PATH: nodePaths}}, function (err) {
+		t.notOk(err);
+		t.end();
+	});
+});
diff --git a/test/fixture/node-paths.js b/test/fixture/node-paths.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a199611e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/node-paths.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import test from '../../';
+
+import foo from 'nested/foo';
+import bar from 'path/bar';
+
+test('relative require', t => {
+	t.is(foo(), 'bar');
+	t.is(bar(), 'baz');
+});
diff --git a/test/fixture/node-paths/deep/nested/path/bar.js b/test/fixture/node-paths/deep/nested/path/bar.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9642d6cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/node-paths/deep/nested/path/bar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module.exports = function () {
+	return 'baz';
+};
+
diff --git a/test/fixture/node-paths/modules/nested/foo.js b/test/fixture/node-paths/modules/nested/foo.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a695c3b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/node-paths/modules/nested/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module.exports = function () {
+	return 'bar';
+};
+