diff --git a/jedi/imports.py b/jedi/imports.py
index b0d6c5a7..f0e5341f 100644
--- a/jedi/imports.py
+++ b/jedi/imports.py
@@ -254,7 +254,11 @@ class ImportPath(pr.Base):
 
         if self.file_path:
             sys_path_mod = list(self.sys_path_with_modifications())
-            sys_path_mod.insert(0, self.file_path)
+            module = self.import_stmt.get_parent_until()
+            if not module.has_explicit_absolute_import:
+                # If the module explicitly asks for absolute imports,
+                # there's probably a bogus local one.
+                sys_path_mod.insert(0, self.file_path)
         else:
             sys_path_mod = list(modules.get_sys_path())
 
diff --git a/jedi/parsing_representation.py b/jedi/parsing_representation.py
index c7421d35..e51132f0 100644
--- a/jedi/parsing_representation.py
+++ b/jedi/parsing_representation.py
@@ -308,18 +308,17 @@ class Scope(Simple, IsScope):
 
 
 class Module(IsScope):
-    """ For isinstance checks. fast_parser.Module also inherits from this. """
-    pass
+    """
+    For isinstance checks. fast_parser.Module also inherits from this.
+    """
 
 
 class SubModule(Scope, Module):
-
     """
     The top scope, which is always a module.
     Depending on the underlying parser this may be a full module or just a part
     of a module.
     """
-
     def __init__(self, path, start_pos=(1, 0), top_module=None):
         """
         Initialize :class:`SubModule`.
@@ -378,6 +377,22 @@ class SubModule(Scope, Module):
     def is_builtin(self):
         return not (self.path is None or self.path.endswith('.py'))
 
+    @property
+    def has_explicit_absolute_import(self):
+        """
+        Checks if imports in this module are explicitly absolute, i.e. there
+        is a ``__future__`` import.
+        """
+        for imp in self.imports:
+            if imp.from_ns is None or imp.namespace is None:
+                continue
+
+            namespace, feature = imp.from_ns.names[0], imp.namespace.names[0]
+            if namespace == "__future__" and feature == "absolute_import":
+                return True
+
+        return False
+
 
 class Class(Scope):
     """
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
index b393f082..ab58a87e 100644
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 addopts = --doctest-modules
 
 # Ignore broken files in blackbox test directories
-norecursedirs = .* docs completion refactor
+norecursedirs = .* docs completion refactor absolute_import
 
 # Activate `clean_jedi_cache` fixture for all tests.  This should be
 # fine as long as we are using `clean_jedi_cache` as a session scoped
diff --git a/test/absolute_import/local_module.py b/test/absolute_import/local_module.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d256fd67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/absolute_import/local_module.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""
+This is a module that imports the *standard library* unittest,
+despite there being a local "unittest" module. It specifies that it
+wants the stdlib one with the ``absolute_import`` __future__ import.
+
+The twisted equivalent of this module is ``twisted.trial._synctest``.
+"""
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+import unittest # this is stdlib unittest, but jedi gets the local one
+
+
+class Assertions(unittest.TestCase):
+    pass
diff --git a/test/absolute_import/unittest.py b/test/absolute_import/unittest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eee1e937
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/absolute_import/unittest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""
+This is a module that shadows a builtin (intentionally).
+
+It imports a local module, which in turn imports stdlib unittest (the
+name shadowed by this module). If that is properly resolved, there's
+no problem. However, if jedi doesn't understand absolute_imports, it
+will get this module again, causing infinite recursion.
+"""
+from local_module import Assertions
+
+
+class TestCase(Assertions):
+    def test(self):
+        self.assertT
diff --git a/test/test_absolute_import.py b/test/test_absolute_import.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1fe9aa9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_absolute_import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import jedi
+from jedi.parsing import Parser
+from . import base
+
+
+def test_explicit_absolute_imports():
+    """
+    Detect modules with ``from __future__ import absolute_import``.
+    """
+    parser = Parser("from __future__ import absolute_import", "test.py")
+    assert parser.module.has_explicit_absolute_import
+
+
+def test_no_explicit_absolute_imports():
+    """
+     Detect modules without ``from __future__ import absolute_import``.
+    """
+    parser = Parser("1", "test.py")
+    assert not parser.module.has_explicit_absolute_import
+
+
+def test_dont_break_imports_without_namespaces():
+    """
+    The code checking for ``from __future__ import absolute_import`` shouldn't
+    assume that all imports have non-``None`` namespaces.
+    """
+    src = "from __future__ import absolute_import\nimport xyzzy"
+    parser = Parser(src, "test.py")
+    assert parser.module.has_explicit_absolute_import
+
+
+@base.cwd_at("test/absolute_import")
+def test_can_complete_when_shadowing():
+    filename = "unittest.py"
+    with open(filename) as f:
+        lines = f.readlines()
+    src = "".join(lines)
+    script = jedi.Script(src, len(lines), len(lines[1]), filename)
+    assert script.completions()