diff --git a/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp b/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
index 8dd29d59..ec3a2b71 100644
--- a/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@ using namespace std;
  *
  * \param fileName
  */
-PMsrHandler::PMsrHandler(char *fileName)
+PMsrHandler::PMsrHandler(char *fileName) : fFileName(fileName)
 {
   // init variables
-  fFileName = fileName;
   fMsrBlockCounter = 0;
 
   fTitle = "";
@@ -66,6 +65,17 @@ PMsrHandler::PMsrHandler(char *fileName)
   fStatistic.fNdf   = 0;
 
   fFuncHandler = 0;
+
+  if (fFileName.Contains("/")) {
+    Int_t idx = -1;
+    while (fFileName.Index("/", idx+1) != -1) {
+      idx = fFileName.Index("/", idx);
+    }
+    fMsrFileDirectoryPath = fFileName;
+    fMsrFileDirectoryPath.Remove(idx+1);
+  } else {
+    fMsrFileDirectoryPath = "./";
+  }
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -337,6 +347,8 @@ int PMsrHandler::WriteMsrLogFile(TString ext)
   else
     str += "mlog";
 
+  str = fMsrFileDirectoryPath + str;
+
   // clean up
   if (tokens) {
     delete tokens;
diff --git a/src/classes/PRunDataHandler.cpp b/src/classes/PRunDataHandler.cpp
index 070b31fa..075ff27f 100644
--- a/src/classes/PRunDataHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/classes/PRunDataHandler.cpp
@@ -271,6 +271,15 @@ bool PRunDataHandler::FileExistsCheck(PMsrRunStructure &runInfo, const unsigned
     pathName = str;
   }
 
+  // check if the file is found in the <msr-file-directory>
+  if (pathName.CompareTo("???") == 0) { // not found in local directory search
+    str  = *fMsrInfo->GetMsrFileDirectoryPath();
+    str += runInfo.fRunName[idx] + TString(".") + ext;
+    if (gSystem->AccessPathName(str.Data())!=true) { // found
+      pathName = str;
+    }
+  }
+
   // check if the file is found in the directory given in the startup file
   if (pathName.CompareTo("???") == 0) { // not found in local directory search
     for (unsigned int i=0; i<fDataPath.size(); i++) {
diff --git a/src/include/PMsrHandler.h b/src/include/PMsrHandler.h
index 73178384..bde11a20 100644
--- a/src/include/PMsrHandler.h
+++ b/src/include/PMsrHandler.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ class PMsrHandler
     virtual PMsrPlotList*           GetMsrPlotList() { return &fPlots; }
     virtual PMsrStatisticStructure* GetMsrStatistic() { return &fStatistic; }
 
+    virtual TString* GetMsrFileDirectoryPath() { return &fMsrFileDirectoryPath; }
+
     virtual unsigned int GetNoOfParams() { return fParam.size(); }
     virtual const TString& GetFileName() const { return fFileName; }
 
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ class PMsrHandler
   private:
     PMsrLines              fComments;  ///< holds the comments of the msr-file
     TString                fFileName;  ///< file name of the msr-file
+    TString                fMsrFileDirectoryPath; ///< msr-file directory path
     TString                fTitle;     ///< holds the title string of the msr-file
     PMsrParamList          fParam;     ///< holds a list of the fit parameters
     PMsrLines              fTheory;    ///< holds the theory definition