diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContext.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContext.java
index 0bb5e863e407..8a80d5e04cf0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContext.java
@@ -192,13 +192,17 @@ public List<String> getFileDirectories(String fieldName, FileDirectoryPreference
         }
 
         // 3. preferences directory
-        preferences.getFileDirectory(fieldName).ifPresent(path ->
-            fileDirs.add(path.toAbsolutePath().toString())
-        );
+        preferences.getFileDirectory(fieldName).ifPresent(path -> fileDirs.add(path.toAbsolutePath().toString()));
 
         // 4. BIB file directory
         getDatabasePath().ifPresent(dbPath -> {
-            String parentDir = dbPath.getParent().toAbsolutePath().toString();
+            Objects.requireNonNull(dbPath, "dbPath is null");
+            Path parentPath = dbPath.getParent();
+            if (parentPath == null) {
+                parentPath = Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.dir"));
+            }
+            Objects.requireNonNull(parentPath, "BibTex database parent path is null");
+            String parentDir = parentPath.toAbsolutePath().toString();
             // Check if we should add it as primary file dir (first in the list) or not:
             if (preferences.isBibLocationAsPrimary()) {
                 fileDirs.add(0, parentDir);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContextTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContextTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0a944e5e4d38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jabref/model/database/BibDatabaseContextTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package org.jabref.model.database;
+
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.jabref.model.metadata.FileDirectoryPreferences;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+public class BibDatabaseContextTest {
+
+    private Path currentWorkingDir;
+
+    // Store the minimal preferences for the
+    // BibDatabaseContext.getFileDirectories(File,
+    // FileDirectoryPreferences) incocation:
+    private FileDirectoryPreferences fileDirPrefs;
+
+    @Rule public ExpectedException thrown = ExpectedException.none();
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() {
+        fileDirPrefs = mock(FileDirectoryPreferences.class);
+        currentWorkingDir = Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.dir"));
+        when(fileDirPrefs.isBibLocationAsPrimary()).thenReturn(true);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getFileDirectoriesWithEmptyDbParent() {
+        BibDatabaseContext dbContext = new BibDatabaseContext();
+        dbContext.setDatabaseFile(Paths.get("biblio.bib").toFile());
+        List<String> fileDirectories = dbContext.getFileDirectories("file", fileDirPrefs);
+        assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(currentWorkingDir.toString()),
+                fileDirectories);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getFileDirectoriesWithRelativeDbParent() {
+        Path file = Paths.get("relative/subdir").resolve("biblio.bib");
+
+        BibDatabaseContext dbContext = new BibDatabaseContext();
+        dbContext.setDatabaseFile(file.toFile());
+        List<String> fileDirectories = dbContext.getFileDirectories("file", fileDirPrefs);
+        assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(currentWorkingDir.resolve(file.getParent()).toString()),
+                fileDirectories);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getFileDirectoriesWithRelativeDottedDbParent() {
+        Path file = Paths.get("./relative/subdir").resolve("biblio.bib");
+
+        BibDatabaseContext dbContext = new BibDatabaseContext();
+        dbContext.setDatabaseFile(file.toFile());
+        List<String> fileDirectories = dbContext.getFileDirectories("file", fileDirPrefs);
+        assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(currentWorkingDir.resolve(file.getParent()).toString()),
+                fileDirectories);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getFileDirectoriesWithAbsoluteDbParent() {
+        Path file = Paths.get("/absolute/subdir").resolve("biblio.bib");
+
+        BibDatabaseContext dbContext = new BibDatabaseContext();
+        dbContext.setDatabaseFile(file.toFile());
+        List<String> fileDirectories = dbContext.getFileDirectories("file", fileDirPrefs);
+        assertEquals(Collections.singletonList(currentWorkingDir.resolve(file.getParent()).toString()),
+                fileDirectories);
+    }
+}