diff --git a/jedi/api/environment.py b/jedi/api/environment.py
index 4a5ad7c6..831ef19a 100644
--- a/jedi/api/environment.py
+++ b/jedi/api/environment.py
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ class _BaseEnvironment(object):
 
 class Environment(_BaseEnvironment):
     def __init__(self, path, executable):
-        self._base_path = path
-        self._executable = executable
+        self._base_path = os.path.abspath(path)
+        self._executable = os.path.abspath(executable)
         self.version_info = self._get_version()
 
     def _get_version(self):
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class Environment(_BaseEnvironment):
         output = stdout + stderr
         match = re.match(br'Python (\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)', output)
         if match is None:
-            raise InvalidPythonEnvironment()
+            raise InvalidPythonEnvironment("--version not working")
 
         return _VersionInfo(*[int(m) for m in match.groups()])
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def _get_virtual_env_from_var():
 
 def get_default_environment():
     """
-    Tries to return an active VirtualEnv. If there is no VIRTUAL_ENV variable
+    Tries to return an active Virtualenv. If there is no VIRTUAL_ENV variable
     set it will return the latest Python version installed on the system. This
     makes it possible to use as many new Python features as possible when using
     autocompletion and other functionality.
@@ -122,9 +122,10 @@ def get_default_environment():
 
 def find_virtualenvs(paths=None, **kwargs):
     """
-    :param paths: A list of paths in your file system that this function will
-        use to search virtual env's. It will exclusively search in these paths
-        and potentially execute the Python binaries on these paths.
+    :param paths: A list of paths in your file system to be scanned for
+        Virtualenvs. It will search in these paths and potentially execute the
+        Python binaries. Also the VIRTUAL_ENV variable will be checked if it
+        contains a valid Virtualenv.
     :param safe: Default True. In case this is False, it will allow this
         function to execute potential `python` environments. An attacker might
         be able to drop an executable in a path this function is searching by
@@ -137,22 +138,30 @@ def find_virtualenvs(paths=None, **kwargs):
 
         _used_paths = set()
 
+        # Using this variable should be safe, because attackers might be able
+        # to drop files (via git) but not environment variables.
         virtual_env = _get_virtual_env_from_var()
         if virtual_env is not None:
             yield virtual_env
             _used_paths.add(virtual_env._base_path)
 
-        for path in paths:
-            if path in _used_paths:
-                # A path shouldn't be evaluated twice.
+        for directory in paths:
+            if not os.path.isdir(directory):
                 continue
-            _used_paths.add(path)
 
-            try:
-                executable = _get_executable_path(path, safe=safe)
-                yield Environment(path, executable)
-            except InvalidPythonEnvironment:
-                pass
+            directory = os.path.abspath(directory)
+            for path in os.listdir(directory):
+                path = os.path.join(directory, path)
+                if path in _used_paths:
+                    # A path shouldn't be evaluated twice.
+                    continue
+                _used_paths.add(path)
+
+                try:
+                    executable = _get_executable_path(path, safe=safe)
+                    yield Environment(path, executable)
+                except InvalidPythonEnvironment:
+                    pass
 
     return py27_comp(paths, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/test/test_api/test_environment.py b/test/test_api/test_environment.py
index f070750c..8105f2b7 100644
--- a/test/test_api/test_environment.py
+++ b/test/test_api/test_environment.py
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 import os
 from contextlib import contextmanager
+from distutils.spawn import find_executable
 
 import pytest
 
 import jedi
 from jedi._compatibility import py_version
 from jedi.api.environment import Environment, get_default_environment, \
-    InvalidPythonEnvironment, find_python_environments
+    InvalidPythonEnvironment, find_python_environments, find_virtualenvs
 
 
 def test_sys_path():
@@ -30,7 +31,10 @@ def test_find_python_environments():
     ['2.7', '3.3', '3.4', '3.5', '3.6', '3.7']
 )
 def test_versions(version):
-    executable = 'python' + version
+    executable_name = 'python' + version
+    executable = find_executable(executable_name)
+    if executable is None:
+        executable = executable_name
     try:
         env = Environment('some path', executable)
     except InvalidPythonEnvironment:
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ def test_versions(version):
         return
 
     sys_path = env.get_sys_path()
-    assert any(executable in p for p in sys_path)
+    assert any(executable_name in p for p in sys_path)
 
 
 def test_load_module(evaluator):
@@ -109,3 +113,8 @@ def test_not_existing_virtualenv():
 def test_working_venv(venv_path):
     with set_environment_variable('VIRTUAL_ENV', venv_path):
         assert get_default_environment()._base_path == venv_path
+
+
+def test_scanning_venvs(venv_path):
+    parent_dir = os.path.dirname(venv_path)
+    assert any(venv._base_path == venv_path for venv in find_virtualenvs([parent_dir]))