diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 56d84d424..f9c2b014e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -441,8 +441,8 @@ def nvcc_threads_args():
             url_func=lambda system, arch, version: f"https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/redist/cuda_nvcc/{system}-{arch}/cuda_nvcc-{system}-{arch}-{version}-archive.tar.xz",  # noqa: E501
         )
         base_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-        ctk_path_new = os.path.join(
-            base_dir, os.pardir, "third_party", "nvidia", "backend", "bin"
+        ctk_path_new = os.path.abspath(
+            os.path.join(base_dir, os.pardir, "third_party", "nvidia", "backend", "bin")
         )
         nvcc_path_new = os.path.join(ctk_path_new, f"nvcc{exe_extension}")
         # Need to append to path otherwise nvcc can't find cicc in nvvm/bin/cicc