diff --git a/extensions/ilastik/models.py b/extensions/ilastik/models.py
index ddcb0db5d6f4496e70196781d485e4da2ab43257..47c81abb9151da76dfd21b0d6cf3356031a983ef 100644
--- a/extensions/ilastik/models.py
+++ b/extensions/ilastik/models.py
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ class IlastikImageToImageModel(ImageToImageModel):
     def __init__(self, params, autoload=True):
         self.project_file = Path(params['project_file'])
         params['project_file'] = self.project_file.__str__()
-        pap = extensions.ilastik.conf.paths['project_files'] / self.project_file
+        if self.project_file.is_absolute():
+            pap = self.project_file
+        else:
+            pap = extensions.ilastik.conf.paths['project_files'] / self.project_file
         self.project_file_abspath = pap
         if not pap.exists():
             raise FileNotFoundError(f'Project file does not exist: {pap}')