diff --git a/packages/definitions-parser/src/lib/module-info.ts b/packages/definitions-parser/src/lib/module-info.ts
index 6e9b5f1abf..25f43cf5fa 100644
--- a/packages/definitions-parser/src/lib/module-info.ts
+++ b/packages/definitions-parser/src/lib/module-info.ts
@@ -374,15 +374,17 @@ export function getTestDependencies(
       throw new Error(`Test files should not use '<reference path="" />'. '${filePath()}' references '${ref}'.`);
     }
     for (const { fileName: referencedPackage } of typeReferenceDirectives) {
-      if (dependencies.has(referencedPackage)) {
-        throw new Error(
-          `'${filePath()}' unnecessarily references '${referencedPackage}', which is already referenced in the type definition.`
-        );
-      }
-      if (referencedPackage === packageName) {
-        referencesSelf = true;
+      if (!referencedPackage.startsWith(".")) {
+        if (dependencies.has(referencedPackage)) {
+          throw new Error(
+            `'${filePath()}' unnecessarily references '${referencedPackage}', which is already referenced in the type definition.`
+          );
+        }
+        if (referencedPackage === packageName) {
+          referencesSelf = true;
+        }
+        testDependencies.add(referencedPackage);
       }
-      testDependencies.add(referencedPackage);
     }
     for (const imported of imports(sourceFile)) {
       hasImports = true;
diff --git a/packages/definitions-parser/test/module-info.test.ts b/packages/definitions-parser/test/module-info.test.ts
index 62797f9276..20302f3eba 100644
--- a/packages/definitions-parser/test/module-info.test.ts
+++ b/packages/definitions-parser/test/module-info.test.ts
@@ -133,5 +133,19 @@ testo({
     const i = getModuleInfo("boring", types);
     const d = getTestDependencies("boring", types, tests.keys(), i.dependencies, fs.subDir("types").subDir("boring"));
     expect(d).toEqual(new Set(["super-big-fun-hus"]));
+  },
+  getTestDependenciesIgnoresRelativeTypeReferences() {
+    const pkg = new Dir(undefined);
+    pkg.set(
+      "mock-tests.ts",
+      `/// <reference types="./addon.pdf" />
+`
+    );
+    pkg.set("addon.pdf.d.ts", "");
+    const memFS = new InMemoryFS(pkg, "types/mock");
+    const { types, tests } = allReferencedFiles(["mock-tests.ts"], memFS, "mock", "types/mock");
+    const { dependencies } = getModuleInfo("mock", types);
+    const testDependencies = getTestDependencies("mock", types, tests.keys(), dependencies, memFS);
+    expect(Array.from(testDependencies)).toEqual([]);
   }
 });