diff --git a/Minecraft.Client/Platform/Common/Consoles_App.cpp b/Minecraft.Client/Platform/Common/Consoles_App.cpp
index f85d56632..5eb204c95 100644
--- a/Minecraft.Client/Platform/Common/Consoles_App.cpp
+++ b/Minecraft.Client/Platform/Common/Consoles_App.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@
 #include "../Minecraft.Client/Utils/ArchiveFile.h"
 #endif
 #include "../Minecraft.Client/Minecraft.h"
+#if defined(__linux__)
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#endif
 #ifdef _XBOX
 #include "../Minecraft.Client/Platform/Xbox/GameConfig/Minecraft.spa.h"
 #include "../Minecraft.Client/Platform/Xbox/Network/NetworkPlayerXbox.h"
@@ -4600,7 +4604,33 @@ void CMinecraftApp::loadMediaArchive() {
 #endif
 
     if (!mediapath.empty()) {
+        // (check file.cpp)
+        // try to load the archive relative to the executable
+        // directory first. 
+        // If that fails, fall back to the current working
+        // directory (original behavior)
+        // if everything fails, may god help you
+#if defined(__linux__)
+        char exePathBuf[PATH_MAX];
+        ssize_t exeLen = readlink("/proc/self/exe", exePathBuf, sizeof(exePathBuf) - 1);
+        if (exeLen != -1) {
+            exePathBuf[exeLen] = '\0';
+            std::string exePathStr(exePathBuf);
+            size_t pos = exePathStr.find_last_of('/');
+            std::string exeDir = (pos == std::string::npos) ? std::string(".") : exePathStr.substr(0, pos);
+            std::wstring exeDirW = convStringToWstring(exeDir.c_str());
+            std::wstring candidate = exeDirW + File::pathSeparator + mediapath;
+            if (File(candidate).exists()) {
+                m_mediaArchive = new ArchiveFile(File(candidate));
+            } else {
+                m_mediaArchive = new ArchiveFile(File(mediapath));
+            }
+        } else {
+            m_mediaArchive = new ArchiveFile(File(mediapath));
+        }
+#else
         m_mediaArchive = new ArchiveFile(File(mediapath));
+#endif
     }
 #if 0
 	std::string path = "Common\\media.arc";
diff --git a/Minecraft.World/IO/Files/File.cpp b/Minecraft.World/IO/Files/File.cpp
index fb09c1a4f..e5bff5c98 100644
--- a/Minecraft.World/IO/Files/File.cpp
+++ b/Minecraft.World/IO/Files/File.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,29 @@ File::File(const std::wstring& pathname)  //: parent( NULL )
     else
         m_abstractPathName = pathname;
 
+#if defined(__linux__)
+    // If this is a relative path and it doesn't exist in the CWD, try to
+    // resolve it relative to the executable directory 
+    if (!m_abstractPathName.empty() && m_abstractPathName[0] != L'/') {
+        const char* native = wstringtofilename(m_abstractPathName);
+        if (access(native, F_OK) == -1) {
+            char exePathBuf[PATH_MAX];
+            ssize_t exeLen = readlink("/proc/self/exe", exePathBuf, sizeof(exePathBuf) - 1);
+            if (exeLen != -1) {
+                exePathBuf[exeLen] = '\0';
+                std::string exePathStr(exePathBuf);
+                size_t pos = exePathStr.find_last_of('/');
+                std::string exeDir = (pos == std::string::npos) ? std::string(".") : exePathStr.substr(0, pos);
+                std::wstring exeDirW = convStringToWstring(exeDir);
+                std::wstring candidate = exeDirW + pathSeparator + m_abstractPathName;
+                const char* candNative = wstringtofilename(candidate);
+                if (access(candNative, F_OK) != -1) {
+                    m_abstractPathName = candidate;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+#endif
 #ifdef _WINDOWS64
     std::string path = wstringtofilename(m_abstractPathName);
     std::string finalPath = StorageManager.GetMountedPath(path.c_str());