diff --git a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
index 449a1750f..303e1c495 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
@@ -1417,6 +1417,7 @@ static int load_filter_graph(struct impl *impl, const char *graph, int order)
 				&SPA_DICT_ITEMS(
 					SPA_DICT_ITEM(SPA_KEY_LIBRARY_NAME, "filter-graph/libspa-filter-graph"),
 					SPA_DICT_ITEM("clock.quantum-limit", qlimit),
+					SPA_DICT_ITEM("library.filter-path", "true"),
 					SPA_DICT_ITEM("filter.graph", graph)));
 		if (new_handle == NULL)
 			goto error;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/filter-graph/filter-graph.c b/spa/plugins/filter-graph/filter-graph.c
index 9aab79a05..cd1ec7841 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/filter-graph/filter-graph.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/filter-graph/filter-graph.c
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ struct impl {
 	uint32_t quantum_limit;
 	uint32_t max_align;
 	long unsigned rate;
+	bool filter_path;
 
 	struct spa_list plugin_list;
 
@@ -884,7 +885,7 @@ static struct plugin *plugin_load(struct impl *impl, const char *type, const cha
 	struct spa_handle *hndl = NULL;
 	struct plugin *plugin;
 	char module[PATH_MAX];
-	char factory_name[256], dsp_ptr[256];
+	char factory_name[256], dsp_ptr[256], filter[16];
 	void *iface;
 	int res;
 
@@ -902,11 +903,14 @@ static struct plugin *plugin_load(struct impl *impl, const char *type, const cha
 			"filter.graph.plugin.%s", type);
 	spa_scnprintf(dsp_ptr, sizeof(dsp_ptr),
 			"pointer:%p", impl->dsp);
+	spa_scnprintf(filter, sizeof(filter),
+			"%s", impl->filter_path ? "true" : "false");
 
 	hndl = spa_plugin_loader_load(impl->loader, factory_name,
 			&SPA_DICT_ITEMS(
 				SPA_DICT_ITEM(SPA_KEY_LIBRARY_NAME, module),
 				SPA_DICT_ITEM("filter.graph.path", path),
+				SPA_DICT_ITEM("library.filter-path", filter),
 				SPA_DICT_ITEM("filter.graph.audio.dsp", dsp_ptr)));
 
 	if (hndl == NULL) {
@@ -2400,6 +2404,8 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 			spa_atou32(s, &impl->info.n_inputs, 0);
 		if (spa_streq(k, "filter-graph.n_outputs"))
 			spa_atou32(s, &impl->info.n_outputs, 0);
+		if (spa_streq(k, "library.filter-path"))
+			impl->filter_path = spa_atob(s);
 	}
 	if (impl->quantum_limit == 0)
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/filter-graph/plugin_ladspa.c b/spa/plugins/filter-graph/plugin_ladspa.c
index 54315861b..a0e0809d0 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/filter-graph/plugin_ladspa.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/filter-graph/plugin_ladspa.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 struct plugin {
 	struct spa_handle handle;
 	struct spa_fga_plugin plugin;
+	bool filter_path;
 
 	struct spa_log *log;
 
@@ -233,13 +234,13 @@ static inline const char *split_walk(const char *str, const char *delimiter, siz
 	return s;
 }
 
-static void make_search_paths(const char **path, const char **search_dirs)
+static void make_search_paths(const char **path, const char **search_dirs, bool filter)
 {
-	const char *p;
-
-	while ((p = strstr(*path, "../")) != NULL)
-		*path = p + 3;
-
+	if (filter) {
+		const char *p;
+		while ((p = strstr(*path, "../")) != NULL)
+			*path = p + 3;
+	}
 	*search_dirs = getenv("LADSPA_PATH");
 	if (!*search_dirs)
 		*search_dirs = "/usr/lib64/ladspa:/usr/lib/ladspa:" LIBDIR;
@@ -252,6 +253,8 @@ static int load_ladspa_plugin(struct plugin *impl, const char *path, const char
 	char filename[PATH_MAX];
 	size_t len;
 
+	if (!impl->filter_path && path[0] == '/')
+		return ladspa_handle_load_by_path(impl, path);
 	/*
 	 * set the errno for the case when `ladspa_handle_load_by_path()`
 	 * is never called, which can only happen if the supplied
@@ -337,11 +340,13 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 		const char *s = info->items[i].value;
 		if (spa_streq(k, "filter.graph.path"))
 			path = s;
+		else if (spa_streq(k, "library.filter-path"))
+			impl->filter_path = spa_atob(s);
 	}
 	if (path == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	make_search_paths(&path, &search_dirs);
+	make_search_paths(&path, &search_dirs, impl->filter_path);
 
 	if ((res = load_ladspa_plugin(impl, path, search_dirs)) < 0) {
 		spa_log_error(impl->log, "failed to load plugin '%s' in '%s': %s",
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
index 50c368398..d19239d36 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ static int module_ladspa_sink_prepare(struct module * const module)
 	} else {
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION, str);
 	}
+	pw_properties_set(props, "library.filter-path", "true");
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(props, "master")) != NULL ||
 	    (str = pw_properties_get(props, "sink_master")) != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-source.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-source.c
index 09eb11ce4..2f3521d12 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-source.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/modules/module-ladspa-source.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ static int module_ladspa_source_prepare(struct module * const module)
 	} else {
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION, str);
 	}
+	pw_properties_set(props, "library.filter-path", "true");
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(props, "master")) != NULL ||
 	    (str = pw_properties_get(props, "source_master")) != NULL) {