diff --git a/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.cpp b/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.cpp
index b7ff2ce58..06a0381cf 100644
--- a/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.cpp
+++ b/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.cpp
@@ -33,11 +33,29 @@ using std::string;
 namespace solidity::frontend
 {
 
+FileReader::FileReader(
+	boost::filesystem::path _basePath,
+	FileSystemPathSet _allowedDirectories
+):
+	m_allowedDirectories(std::move(_allowedDirectories)),
+	m_sourceCodes()
+{
+	setBasePath(_basePath);
+	for (boost::filesystem::path const& allowedDir: m_allowedDirectories)
+		solAssert(!allowedDir.empty(), "");
+}
+
 void FileReader::setBasePath(boost::filesystem::path const& _path)
 {
 	m_basePath = (_path.empty() ? "" : normalizeCLIPathForVFS(_path));
 }
 
+void FileReader::allowDirectory(boost::filesystem::path _path)
+{
+	solAssert(!_path.empty(), "");
+	m_allowedDirectories.insert(std::move(_path));
+}
+
 void FileReader::setSource(boost::filesystem::path const& _path, SourceCode _source)
 {
 	boost::filesystem::path normalizedPath = normalizeCLIPathForVFS(_path);
diff --git a/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.h b/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.h
index 53d4ef9b8..fe59464ad 100644
--- a/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.h
+++ b/libsolidity/interface/FileReader.h
@@ -46,20 +46,12 @@ public:
 
 	/// Constructs a FileReader with a base path and a set of allowed directories that
 	/// will be used when requesting files from this file reader instance.
-	explicit FileReader(
-		boost::filesystem::path _basePath = {},
-		FileSystemPathSet _allowedDirectories = {}
-	):
-		m_allowedDirectories(std::move(_allowedDirectories)),
-		m_sourceCodes()
-	{
-		setBasePath(_basePath);
-	}
+	explicit FileReader(boost::filesystem::path _basePath = {}, FileSystemPathSet _allowedDirectories = {});
 
 	void setBasePath(boost::filesystem::path const& _path);
 	boost::filesystem::path const& basePath() const noexcept { return m_basePath; }
 
-	void allowDirectory(boost::filesystem::path _path) { m_allowedDirectories.insert(std::move(_path)); }
+	void allowDirectory(boost::filesystem::path _path);
 	FileSystemPathSet const& allowedDirectories() const noexcept { return m_allowedDirectories; }
 
 	StringMap const& sourceCodes() const noexcept { return m_sourceCodes; }
diff --git a/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp b/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
index 64fc5e630..af67c7360 100644
--- a/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
+++ b/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ bool CommandLineParser::parseInputPathsAndRemappings()
 
 				boost::filesystem::path remappingDir = remapping->target;
 				remappingDir.remove_filename();
-				m_options.input.allowedDirectories.insert(remappingDir);
+				m_options.input.allowedDirectories.insert(remappingDir.empty() ? "." : remappingDir);
 
 				m_options.input.remappings.emplace_back(move(remapping.value()));
 			}
@@ -979,7 +979,8 @@ bool CommandLineParser::processArgs()
 	{
 		vector<string> paths;
 		for (string const& allowedPath: boost::split(paths, m_args[g_strAllowPaths].as<string>(), boost::is_any_of(",")))
-			m_options.input.allowedDirectories.insert(allowedPath);
+			if (!allowedPath.empty())
+				m_options.input.allowedDirectories.insert(allowedPath);
 	}
 
 	if (m_args.count(g_strStopAfter))
diff --git a/test/solc/CommandLineInterfaceAllowPaths.cpp b/test/solc/CommandLineInterfaceAllowPaths.cpp
index ae6e1912b..f09873d7b 100644
--- a/test/solc/CommandLineInterfaceAllowPaths.cpp
+++ b/test/solc/CommandLineInterfaceAllowPaths.cpp
@@ -288,8 +288,8 @@ BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE(allow_path_should_handle_empty_paths, AllowPathsFixture)
 	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../code/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "x,,y"}) == ImportCheck::PathDisallowed());
 
 	// Work dir is not base path
-	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../work/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "", "--base-path=../code/"}));
-	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../work/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "x,,y", "--base-path=../code/"}));
+	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../work/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "", "--base-path=../code/"}) == ImportCheck::PathDisallowed());
+	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../work/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "x,,y", "--base-path=../code/"}) == ImportCheck::PathDisallowed());
 	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../code/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "", "--base-path=../code/"}));
 	BOOST_TEST(checkImport("import 'a/../../code/a/b/c.sol'", {"--allow-paths", "x,,y", "--base-path=../code/"}));
 }
diff --git a/test/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp b/test/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
index 26c620f03..142ba31af 100644
--- a/test/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
+++ b/test/solc/CommandLineParser.cpp
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(cli_mode_options)
 
 		expectedOptions.input.addStdin = true;
 		expectedOptions.input.basePath = "/home/user/";
-		expectedOptions.input.allowedDirectories = {"/tmp", "/home", "project", "../contracts", "", "c", "/usr/lib"};
+		expectedOptions.input.allowedDirectories = {"/tmp", "/home", "project", "../contracts", ".", "c", "/usr/lib"};
 		expectedOptions.input.ignoreMissingFiles = true;
 		expectedOptions.input.errorRecovery = (inputMode == InputMode::Compiler);
 		expectedOptions.output.dir = "/tmp/out";
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(assembly_mode_options)
 		};
 		expectedOptions.input.addStdin = true;
 		expectedOptions.input.basePath = "/home/user/";
-		expectedOptions.input.allowedDirectories = {"/tmp", "/home", "project", "../contracts", "", "c", "/usr/lib"};
+		expectedOptions.input.allowedDirectories = {"/tmp", "/home", "project", "../contracts", ".", "c", "/usr/lib"};
 		expectedOptions.input.ignoreMissingFiles = true;
 		expectedOptions.output.overwriteFiles = true;
 		expectedOptions.output.evmVersion = EVMVersion::spuriousDragon();