diff --git a/main/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/main/Main.java b/main/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/main/Main.java
index f4b8773..30d2670 100644
--- a/main/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/main/Main.java
+++ b/main/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/main/Main.java
@@ -548,14 +548,21 @@
     }
 
     private void installAndStartBundles(ArtifactResolver resolver, BundleContext context, List<BundleInfo> bundles) {
+        final URI home = !bundles.isEmpty() ? config.karafHome.toURI() : null;
+        final URI base = !bundles.isEmpty() ? config.karafBase.toURI() : null;
         for (BundleInfo bundleInfo : bundles) {
             try {
                 Bundle b;
                 if (bundleInfo.uri.toString().startsWith("reference:file:")) {
                     URI temp = URI.create(bundleInfo.uri.toString().substring("reference:file:".length()));
                     URI resolvedURI = resolver.resolve(temp);
-                    URI finalUri = URI.create("reference:file:" + config.karafBase.toURI().relativize(resolvedURI));
-                    b = context.installBundle(finalUri.toString());
+                    final String asciiString = resolvedURI.toASCIIString();
+                    if (asciiString.startsWith(home.toASCIIString()) ||
+                        asciiString.startsWith(base.toASCIIString())) {
+                        b = context.installBundle(URI.create("reference:" + asciiString).toString());
+                    } else {
+                        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Can't resolve bundle '" + bundleInfo.uri + "'");
+                    }
                 } else {
                     URI resolvedURI = resolver.resolve(bundleInfo.uri);
                     b = context.installBundle(bundleInfo.uri.toString(), resolvedURI.toURL().openStream());