diff --git a/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/EnvironmentVariables.kt b/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/EnvironmentVariables.kt
index 6c032aa0865..a2a3d539361 100644
--- a/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/EnvironmentVariables.kt
+++ b/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/EnvironmentVariables.kt
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import java.io.File
 /**
  *  The plugin allows an IDE to specify some building parameters. These parameters
  *  are passed to the plugin via environment variables. Two variables are supported:
- *      - CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR    - An absolute path to a destination directory for all compilation tasks.
+ *      - CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR    - A path to a destination directory for all compilation tasks.
  *                                     The IDE should take care about specifying different directories
  *                                     for different targets. This setting has less priority than
  *                                     an explicitly specified destination directory in the build script.
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ internal class EnvironmentVariablesUnused: EnvironmentVariables {
         get() = false
 }
 
-internal class EnvironmentVariablesImpl:  EnvironmentVariables {
+internal class EnvironmentVariablesImpl(val project: Project):  EnvironmentVariables {
     override val configurationBuildDir: File?
         get() = System.getenv("CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR")?.let {
-            File(it).apply { check(isAbsolute) { "A path passed using CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR should be absolute" } }
+            project.file(it)
         }
 
     override val debuggingSymbols: Boolean
diff --git a/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/groovy/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/test/EnvVariableSpecification.groovy b/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/groovy/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/test/EnvVariableSpecification.groovy
index 43fb1ad8275..2ea5cd99a5d 100644
--- a/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/groovy/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/test/EnvVariableSpecification.groovy
+++ b/tools/kotlin-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/groovy/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/plugin/test/EnvVariableSpecification.groovy
@@ -199,23 +199,6 @@ class EnvVariableSpecification extends BaseKonanSpecification {
         }
     }
 
-    @Ignore("The plugin doesn't use env vars until https://github.com/gradle/gradle/issues/3468 is fixed.")
-    def 'Plugin should throw an exception if CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR contains a relative path'() {
-        when:
-        def project = createProjectWithWrapper()
-        project.buildFile.append("""\
-            apply plugin: 'konan'
-            konanArtifacts {
-                library('main')
-            }
-        """.stripIndent())
-        def wrapperResult = runWrapper(project, "tasks", ["CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR": "some_relative_path"])
-
-        then:
-        wrapperResult.getExitValue() != 0
-        wrapperResult.getStderr().contains("A path passed using CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR should be absolute")
-    }
-
     @Ignore("The plugin doesn't use env vars until https://github.com/gradle/gradle/issues/3468 is fixed.")
     def 'Plugin should rerun tasks if CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR has been changed'() {
         when: