diff --git a/hgext/censor.py b/hgext/censor.py
--- a/hgext/censor.py
+++ b/hgext/censor.py
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ def censor(ui, repo, path, rev='', tombs
     if not rev:
         raise util.Abort(_('must specify revision to censor'))
 
+    wctx = repo[None]
+
+    m = scmutil.match(wctx, (path,))
+    if m.anypats() or len(m.files()) != 1:
+        raise util.Abort(_('can only specify an explicit filename'))
+    path = m.files()[0]
     flog = repo.file(path)
     if not len(flog):
         raise util.Abort(_('cannot censor file with no history'))
@@ -70,7 +76,6 @@ def censor(ui, repo, path, rev='', tombs
         raise util.Abort(_('cannot censor file in heads (%s)') % headlist,
             hint=_('clean/delete and commit first'))
 
-    wctx = repo[None]
     wp = wctx.parents()
     if ctx.node() in [p.node() for p in wp]:
         raise util.Abort(_('cannot censor working directory'),
diff --git a/tests/test-censor.t b/tests/test-censor.t
--- a/tests/test-censor.t
+++ b/tests/test-censor.t
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@ Try to censor revision with too large of
 
 Censor revision with 2 offenses
 
-  $ hg censor -r $C2 -t "remove password" target
+(this also tests file pattern matching: path relative to cwd case)
+
+  $ mkdir -p foo/bar/baz
+  $ hg --cwd foo/bar/baz censor -r $C2 -t "remove password" ../../../target
   $ hg cat -r $H1 target
   Tainted file is now sanitized
   $ hg cat -r $H2 target
@@ -89,7 +92,9 @@ Censor revision with 2 offenses
 
 Censor revision with 1 offense
 
-  $ hg censor -r $C1 target
+(this also tests file pattern matching: with 'path:' scheme)
+
+  $ hg --cwd foo/bar/baz censor -r $C1 path:target
   $ hg cat -r $H1 target
   Tainted file is now sanitized
   $ hg cat -r $H2 target