diff --git a/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Pathname.java b/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Pathname.java
index 19b6acd96..639e37485 100644
--- a/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Pathname.java
+++ b/src/org/armedbear/lisp/Pathname.java
@@ -296,8 +296,6 @@ private static final Pathname init(String s) {
       result.setDirectory(new Cons(Keyword.RELATIVE));
       return result;
     } 
-    if (s.startsWith("./"))
-      { s = s.substring(2); }
     if (s.equals("..") || s.equals("../")) {
       result.setDirectory(list(Keyword.RELATIVE, Keyword.UP));
       return result;
@@ -425,6 +423,9 @@ private static final LispObject parseDirectory(String d) {
         if (d.equals("/") || (Utilities.isPlatformWindows && d.equals("\\"))) {
             return new Cons(Keyword.ABSOLUTE);
         }
+        if (d.equals("./")) {
+            return new Cons(Keyword.RELATIVE);
+        }
         LispObject result;
         if (d.startsWith("/") || (Utilities.isPlatformWindows && d.startsWith("\\"))) {
             result = new Cons(Keyword.ABSOLUTE);
diff --git a/t/namestring.lisp b/t/namestring.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..afda0e280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/namestring.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+;;;; <https://github.com/armedbear/abcl/issues/656>
+#|
+(parse-namestring "./foo") evaluates to #p"foo", instead of #p"./foo".
+
+Most Lisp implementation evaluate to #p"./foo", but I don't think this is in the standard.
+
+ABCL supports current directory in paths though, using make-pathname:
+
+(make-pathname :directory '(:relative ".") :name "foo") => #P"./foo".
+
+So it is only parse-namestring that would need to be modified.
+|#
+
+(prove:plan 1)
+
+(prove:is 
+ (pathname-directory (parse-namestring "./foo"))
+ '(:relative ".")
+ "Whether the namestring of current directory explicitly roundtrips")
+
+
+;; (describe #p"./foo")
+#| ABCL
+#P"foo" is an object of type PATHNAME:
+  HOST         NIL
+  DEVICE       NIL
+  DIRECTORY    NIL
+  NAME         "foo"
+  TYPE         NIL
+  VERSION      NIL
+; No value                              ;
+|# 
+
+#| SBCL
+#P"./foo"
+  [pathname]
+
+  HOST       = #<SB-IMPL::UNIX-HOST {70031676C3}>
+  DIRECTORY  = (:RELATIVE ".")
+  NAME       = "foo"
+  VERSION    = :NEWEST
+; No value
+|#
+
+#| CCL
+P"./foo"
+Type: PATHNAME
+Class: #<BUILT-IN-CLASS PATHNAME>
+TYPE: (PATHNAME . #<CCL::CLASS-WRAPPER PATHNAME #x30004035E6DD>)
+%PATHNAME-DIRECTORY: (:RELATIVE ".")
+%PATHNAME-NAME: "foo"
+%PATHNAME-TYPE: NIL
+%PHYSICAL-PATHNAME-VERSION: :NEWEST
+%PHYSICAL-PATHNAME-DEVICE: NIL
+|#
+
+#| ECL
+#<pathname  0x107138140>
+--------------------
+A pathname.
+Namestring: "foo"
+Host: NIL
+Device: NIL
+Directory: (:RELATIVE)
+Name: "foo"
+Type: NIL
+Version: :NEWEST
+
+|#
+
+(prove:finalize)