diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
index 667fbbf493..59c1343271 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
@@ -178,11 +178,15 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         if self.verbosity >= 2:
             self.stdout.write("Loading '%s' fixtures..." % fixture_name)
 
-        if os.path.sep in fixture_name:
+        if os.path.isabs(fixture_name):
             fixture_dirs = [os.path.dirname(fixture_name)]
             fixture_name = os.path.basename(fixture_name)
         else:
             fixture_dirs = self.fixture_dirs
+            if os.path.sep in fixture_name:
+                fixture_dirs = [os.path.join(dir_, os.path.dirname(fixture_name))
+                                for dir_ in fixture_dirs]
+                fixture_name = os.path.basename(fixture_name)
 
         suffixes = ('.'.join(ext for ext in combo if ext)
                 for combo in product(databases, ser_fmts, cmp_fmts))
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
index 2ac8822c9c..ec81848d19 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.6.1.txt
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ Bug fixes
 * Fixed ``django.contrib.humanize`` translations where the unicode sequence
   for the non-breaking space was returned verbatim (#21415).
 * Fixed :djadmin:`loaddata` error when fixture file name contained any dots
-  non related to file extensions (#21457).
+  non related to file extensions (#21457) or when fixture path was relative
+  but located in a subdirectory (#21551).
 * Fixed display of inline instances in formsets when parent has 0 for primary
   key (#21472).
 * Fixed a regression where custom querysets for foreign keys were overwritten
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures_1/inner/absolute.json b/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures_1/inner/absolute.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d62ac03fff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures_regress/fixtures_1/inner/absolute.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[
+    {
+        "pk": "1",
+        "model": "fixtures_regress.absolute",
+        "fields": {
+            "name": "Load Absolute Path Test"
+        }
+    }
+]
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
index c5ef83bee0..3757dc5180 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures_regress/tests.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Unittests for fixtures.
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import json
 import os
 import re
 import warnings
@@ -19,12 +20,13 @@ from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils._os import upath
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.six import PY3, StringIO
-import json
 
 from .models import (Animal, Stuff, Absolute, Parent, Child, Article, Widget,
     Store, Person, Book, NKChild, RefToNKChild, Circle1, Circle2, Circle3,
     ExternalDependency, Thingy)
 
+_cur_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(upath(__file__)))
+
 
 class TestFixtures(TestCase):
 
@@ -150,12 +152,11 @@ class TestFixtures(TestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(Absolute.objects.count(), 1)
 
-    def test_relative_path(self):
-        directory = os.path.dirname(upath(__file__))
-        relative_path = os.path.join('fixtures', 'absolute.json')
+    def test_relative_path(self, path=['fixtures', 'absolute.json']):
+        relative_path = os.path.join(*path)
         cwd = os.getcwd()
         try:
-            os.chdir(directory)
+            os.chdir(_cur_dir)
             management.call_command(
                 'loaddata',
                 relative_path,
@@ -165,6 +166,10 @@ class TestFixtures(TestCase):
             os.chdir(cwd)
         self.assertEqual(Absolute.objects.count(), 1)
 
+    @override_settings(FIXTURE_DIRS=[os.path.join(_cur_dir, 'fixtures_1')])
+    def test_relative_path_in_fixture_dirs(self):
+        self.test_relative_path(path=['inner', 'absolute.json'])
+
     def test_path_containing_dots(self):
         management.call_command(
             'loaddata',
@@ -424,8 +429,6 @@ class TestFixtures(TestCase):
                 verbosity=0,
             )
 
-    _cur_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(upath(__file__)))
-
     @override_settings(FIXTURE_DIRS=[os.path.join(_cur_dir, 'fixtures_1'),
                                      os.path.join(_cur_dir, 'fixtures_2')])
     def test_loaddata_forward_refs_split_fixtures(self):