diff --git a/cmd/nebel/add.go b/cmd/nebel/add.go
index 3ad8a7b..24e9178 100644
--- a/cmd/nebel/add.go
+++ b/cmd/nebel/add.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func runAddFile(args []string) error {
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("usage: nebel add file <glob>")
 	}
-	glob := args[0]
+	glob := normalizePath(args[0])
 
 	root, configPath, cfg, err := openConfig()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -103,15 +103,15 @@ func runAddField(args []string) error {
 	if len(args) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("usage: nebel add field <file> [path...]")
 	}
-	target, paths := args[0], args[1:]
+	target, paths := normalizePath(args[0]), args[1:]
 
 	root, configPath, cfg, err := openConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// The rule pattern is stored as given, but the document is read from
-	// the working tree, so the argument has to name a real file.
+	// The document is read from the working tree, so the argument has to
+	// name a real file.
 	source, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, filepath.FromSlash(target)))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %w", target, err)
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ func runAddField(args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// normalizePath gives a CLI path or glob the repo-relative, slash-separated
+// form git reports, so it matches what MatchRule later compares it against.
+func normalizePath(path string) string {
+	return filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(path))
+}
+
 // existingFields returns the paths already configured for pattern.
 func existingFields(cfg *config.Config, pattern string) map[string]bool {
 	fields := map[string]bool{}
diff --git a/cmd/nebel/addfield_e2e_test.go b/cmd/nebel/addfield_e2e_test.go
index 62a663e..e2b3847 100644
--- a/cmd/nebel/addfield_e2e_test.go
+++ b/cmd/nebel/addfield_e2e_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,62 @@ func TestAddFieldRejectsMissingPath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// issue #8: a leading "./" on the path must be normalized away before it
+// reaches .gitattributes and the config, or the pattern silently fails to
+// match the file git reports without it.
+func TestAddFieldNormalizesRelativePath(t *testing.T) {
+	pathEnv := pathEnvWithBin(t)
+	repo := setupValueRepo(t, pathEnv)
+
+	runIn(t, repo, pathEnv, "nebel", "add", "field", "./config/staging.yaml", "database.password")
+
+	attrs, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(repo, gitattributesName))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(attrs), "./config/staging.yaml") {
+		t.Errorf("%s still has an un-normalized ./ prefix:\n%s", gitattributesName, attrs)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(attrs), "config/staging.yaml filter=nebel") {
+		t.Errorf("%s is missing the normalized pattern:\n%s", gitattributesName, attrs)
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(repo, ".nebel.yaml"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(cfg), "./config/staging.yaml") {
+		t.Errorf(".nebel.yaml still has an un-normalized ./ prefix:\n%s", cfg)
+	}
+
+	runIn(t, repo, pathEnv, "git", "add", ".")
+	runIn(t, repo, pathEnv, "git", "commit", "-q", "-m", "encrypt fields")
+	stored := runIn(t, repo, pathEnv, "git", "show", "HEAD:config/staging.yaml")
+	if strings.Contains(stored, "s3cr3t") {
+		t.Errorf("path given with a ./ prefix was not actually encrypted:\n%s", stored)
+	}
+}
+
+// issue #8, mode: file variant: the same normalization applies to
+// `add file`'s glob argument.
+func TestAddFileNormalizesRelativePath(t *testing.T) {
+	pathEnv := pathEnvWithBin(t)
+	repo := setupValueRepo(t, pathEnv)
+
+	runIn(t, repo, pathEnv, "nebel", "add", "file", "./config/*.yaml")
+
+	attrs, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(repo, gitattributesName))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(attrs), "./config/*.yaml") {
+		t.Errorf("%s still has an un-normalized ./ prefix:\n%s", gitattributesName, attrs)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(attrs), "config/*.yaml filter=nebel") {
+		t.Errorf("%s is missing the normalized pattern:\n%s", gitattributesName, attrs)
+	}
+}
+
 // The two subcommands write different rules for the same path, so mixing
 // them is refused rather than silently reinterpreting one as the other.
 func TestAddFileAndFieldConflict(t *testing.T) {