diff --git a/git/git.go b/git/git.go
index 9e3fe86fe..97dafa1c7 100644
--- a/git/git.go
+++ b/git/git.go
@@ -366,6 +366,21 @@ func ToplevelDir() (string, error) {
 
 }
 
+func PathFromRepoRoot() string {
+	showCmd, err := GitCommand("rev-parse", "--show-prefix")
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	output, err := run.PrepareCmd(showCmd).Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if path := firstLine(output); path != "" {
+		return path[:len(path)-1]
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 func outputLines(output []byte) []string {
 	lines := strings.TrimSuffix(string(output), "\n")
 	return strings.Split(lines, "\n")
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/browse/browse.go b/pkg/cmd/browse/browse.go
index 16d793979..8bd64940d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/browse/browse.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/browse/browse.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package browse
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -21,10 +22,11 @@ type browser interface {
 }
 
 type BrowseOptions struct {
-	BaseRepo   func() (ghrepo.Interface, error)
-	Browser    browser
-	HttpClient func() (*http.Client, error)
-	IO         *iostreams.IOStreams
+	BaseRepo         func() (ghrepo.Interface, error)
+	Browser          browser
+	HttpClient       func() (*http.Client, error)
+	IO               *iostreams.IOStreams
+	PathFromRepoRoot func() string
 
 	SelectorArg string
 
@@ -38,9 +40,10 @@ type BrowseOptions struct {
 
 func NewCmdBrowse(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*BrowseOptions) error) *cobra.Command {
 	opts := &BrowseOptions{
-		Browser:    f.Browser,
-		HttpClient: f.HttpClient,
-		IO:         f.IOStreams,
+		Browser:          f.Browser,
+		HttpClient:       f.HttpClient,
+		IO:               f.IOStreams,
+		PathFromRepoRoot: git.PathFromRepoRoot,
 	}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
@@ -158,7 +161,7 @@ func parseSection(baseRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts *BrowseOptions) (string, error
 		return fmt.Sprintf("issues/%s", opts.SelectorArg), nil
 	}
 
-	filePath, rangeStart, rangeEnd, err := parseFile(opts.SelectorArg)
+	filePath, rangeStart, rangeEnd, err := parseFile(*opts, opts.SelectorArg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ func parseSection(baseRepo ghrepo.Interface, opts *BrowseOptions) (string, error
 	return fmt.Sprintf("tree/%s/%s", branchName, filePath), nil
 }
 
-func parseFile(f string) (p string, start int, end int, err error) {
+func parseFile(opts BrowseOptions, f string) (p string, start int, end int, err error) {
 	parts := strings.SplitN(f, ":", 3)
 	if len(parts) > 2 {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid file argument: %q", f)
@@ -196,6 +199,14 @@ func parseFile(f string) (p string, start int, end int, err error) {
 	}
 
 	p = parts[0]
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(p) {
+		p = filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(opts.PathFromRepoRoot(), p))
+		// Ensure that a path using \ can be used in a URL
+		p = strings.ReplaceAll(p, "\\", "/")
+		if p == "." || strings.HasPrefix(p, "..") {
+			p = ""
+		}
+	}
 	if len(parts) < 2 {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/browse/browse_test.go b/pkg/cmd/browse/browse_test.go
index e342cde68..489ad4e09 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/browse/browse_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/browse/browse_test.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/git"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/httpmock"
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ func setGitDir(t *testing.T, dir string) {
 }
 
 func Test_runBrowse(t *testing.T) {
+	s := string(os.PathSeparator)
 	setGitDir(t, "../../../git/fixtures/simple.git")
 	tests := []struct {
 		name          string
@@ -334,6 +337,32 @@ func Test_runBrowse(t *testing.T) {
 			wantsErr:    false,
 			expectedURL: "https://github.com/vilmibm/gh-user-status/tree/6f1a2405cace1633d89a79c74c65f22fe78f9659/main.go",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "relative path from browse_test.go",
+			opts: BrowseOptions{
+				SelectorArg: filepath.Join(".", "browse_test.go"),
+				PathFromRepoRoot: func() string {
+					return "pkg/cmd/browse/"
+				},
+			},
+			baseRepo:      ghrepo.New("bchadwic", "gh-graph"),
+			defaultBranch: "trunk",
+			expectedURL:   "https://github.com/bchadwic/gh-graph/tree/trunk/pkg/cmd/browse/browse_test.go",
+			wantsErr:      false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "relative path to file in parent folder from browse_test.go",
+			opts: BrowseOptions{
+				SelectorArg: ".." + s + "pr",
+				PathFromRepoRoot: func() string {
+					return "pkg/cmd/browse/"
+				},
+			},
+			baseRepo:      ghrepo.New("bchadwic", "gh-graph"),
+			defaultBranch: "trunk",
+			expectedURL:   "https://github.com/bchadwic/gh-graph/tree/trunk/pkg/cmd/pr",
+			wantsErr:      false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -356,6 +385,9 @@ func Test_runBrowse(t *testing.T) {
 				return &http.Client{Transport: &reg}, nil
 			}
 			opts.Browser = &browser
+			if opts.PathFromRepoRoot == nil {
+				opts.PathFromRepoRoot = git.PathFromRepoRoot
+			}
 
 			err := runBrowse(&opts)
 			if tt.wantsErr {
@@ -376,3 +408,70 @@ func Test_runBrowse(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_parsePathFromFileArg(t *testing.T) {
+	s := string(os.PathSeparator)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		fileArg      string
+		expectedPath string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "go to parent folder",
+			fileArg:      ".." + s,
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "current folder",
+			fileArg:      ".",
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "current folder (alternative)",
+			fileArg:      "." + s,
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "file that starts with '.'",
+			fileArg:      ".gitignore",
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse/.gitignore",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "file in current folder",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join(".", "browse.go"),
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse/browse.go",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "file within parent folder",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join("..", "browse.go"),
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse.go",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "file within parent folder uncleaned",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join("..", ".") + s + s + s + "browse.go",
+			expectedPath: "pkg/cmd/browse.go",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "different path from root directory",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join("..", "..", "..", "internal/build/build.go"),
+			expectedPath: "internal/build/build.go",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "go out of repository",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join("..", "..", "..", "..", "..", "..") + s + "",
+			expectedPath: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "go to root of repository",
+			fileArg:      filepath.Join("..", "..", "..") + s + "",
+			expectedPath: "",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		path, _, _, _ := parseFile(BrowseOptions{
+			PathFromRepoRoot: func() string {
+				return "pkg/cmd/browse/"
+			}}, tt.fileArg)
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedPath, path, tt.name)
+	}
+}