diff --git a/fsl/data/atlases.py b/fsl/data/atlases.py
index 7df89ac20f32455cc5932c954355f5a90dbe85c9..51f2adcb279e45ef0c4fb2c548e5c1c41d2d12f6 100644
--- a/fsl/data/atlases.py
+++ b/fsl/data/atlases.py
@@ -492,8 +492,8 @@ class AtlasDescription(object):
 
             # Assuming that the path
             # names begin with a slash
-            imagefile        = op.join(atlasDir, '.' + imagefile)
-            summaryimagefile = op.join(atlasDir, '.' + summaryimagefile)
+            imagefile        = op.normpath(atlasDir + imagefile)
+            summaryimagefile = op.normpath(atlasDir + summaryimagefile)
 
             i = fslimage.Image(imagefile, loadData=False, calcRange=False)