diff --git a/backend/go/acestep-cpp/acestepcpp_test.go b/backend/go/acestep-cpp/acestepcpp_test.go
index f9dd86f563a2..2abe24805a6e 100644
--- a/backend/go/acestep-cpp/acestepcpp_test.go
+++ b/backend/go/acestep-cpp/acestepcpp_test.go
@@ -106,12 +106,16 @@ func TestLoadModel(t *testing.T) {
 	defer conn.Close()
 
 	client := pb.NewBackendClient(conn)
+	
+	// Get base directory from main model file for relative paths
+	mainModelPath := filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-5Hz-lm-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf")
+	
 	resp, err := client.LoadModel(context.Background(), &pb.ModelOptions{
-		ModelFile: filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-5Hz-lm-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf"),
+		ModelFile: mainModelPath,
 		Options: []string{
-			"text_encoder_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "Qwen3-Embedding-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf"),
-			"dit_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-v15-turbo-Q8_0.gguf"),
-			"vae_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "vae-BF16.gguf"),
+			"text_encoder_model:Qwen3-Embedding-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf",
+			"dit_model:acestep-v15-turbo-Q8_0.gguf",
+			"vae_model:vae-BF16.gguf",
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -141,13 +145,16 @@ func TestSoundGeneration(t *testing.T) {
 
 	client := pb.NewBackendClient(conn)
 
+	// Get base directory from main model file for relative paths
+	mainModelPath := filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-5Hz-lm-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf")
+
 	// Load models
 	loadResp, err := client.LoadModel(context.Background(), &pb.ModelOptions{
-		ModelFile: filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-5Hz-lm-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf"),
+		ModelFile: mainModelPath,
 		Options: []string{
-			"text_encoder_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "Qwen3-Embedding-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf"),
-			"dit_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "acestep-v15-turbo-Q8_0.gguf"),
-			"vae_model:" + filepath.Join(modelDir, "vae-BF16.gguf"),
+			"text_encoder_model:Qwen3-Embedding-0.6B-Q8_0.gguf",
+			"dit_model:acestep-v15-turbo-Q8_0.gguf",
+			"vae_model:vae-BF16.gguf",
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/go/acestep-cpp/goacestepcpp.go b/backend/go/acestep-cpp/goacestepcpp.go
index e1243c3e9fad..bde8a428c347 100644
--- a/backend/go/acestep-cpp/goacestepcpp.go
+++ b/backend/go/acestep-cpp/goacestepcpp.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mudler/LocalAI/pkg/grpc/base"
@@ -22,6 +23,9 @@ func (a *AceStepCpp) Load(opts *pb.ModelOptions) error {
 	// ModelFile is the LM model path
 	lmModel := opts.ModelFile
 
+	// Get the base directory from ModelFile for resolving relative paths
+	baseDir := filepath.Dir(lmModel)
+
 	var textEncoderModel, ditModel, vaeModel string
 
 	for _, oo := range opts.Options {
@@ -52,6 +56,29 @@ func (a *AceStepCpp) Load(opts *pb.ModelOptions) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("vae_model option is required")
 	}
 
+	// Resolve relative paths to the base directory
+	// If the path doesn't start with "/" it's relative
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(textEncoderModel) {
+		textEncoderModel = filepath.Join(baseDir, textEncoderModel)
+	}
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(ditModel) {
+		ditModel = filepath.Join(baseDir, ditModel)
+	}
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(vaeModel) {
+		vaeModel = filepath.Join(baseDir, vaeModel)
+	}
+
+	// Also resolve the lmModel if it's relative
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(lmModel) {
+		lmModel = filepath.Join(baseDir, lmModel)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "[acestep-cpp] Resolved paths:\n")
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  LM Model: %s\n", lmModel)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Text Encoder: %s\n", textEncoderModel)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  DiT Model: %s\n", ditModel)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  VAE Model: %s\n", vaeModel)
+
 	if ret := CppLoadModel(lmModel, textEncoderModel, ditModel, vaeModel); ret != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load acestep models (error code: %d)", ret)
 	}