diff --git a/mercurial/revset.py b/mercurial/revset.py
--- a/mercurial/revset.py
+++ b/mercurial/revset.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import match as matchmod
 from i18n import _
 import encoding
 import obsolete as obsmod
+import pathutil
 import repoview
 
 def _revancestors(repo, revs, followfirst):
@@ -530,6 +531,7 @@ def contains(repo, subset, x):
     pat = getstring(x, _("contains requires a pattern"))
     s = []
     if not matchmod.patkind(pat):
+        pat = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, repo.getcwd(), pat)
         for r in subset:
             if pat in repo[r]:
                 s.append(r)
diff --git a/tests/test-revset.t b/tests/test-revset.t
--- a/tests/test-revset.t
+++ b/tests/test-revset.t
@@ -273,6 +273,11 @@ ancestor can accept 0 or more arguments
   1
   3
   5
+  $ log 'contains("../repo/a")'
+  0
+  1
+  3
+  5
   $ log 'desc(B)'
   5
   $ log 'descendants(2 or 3)'