Index: modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.java	(revision 2499)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.java	(working copy)
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ public final class JcrI18n {
     public static I18n cleaningUpLocks;
     public static I18n cleanedUpLocks;
     public static I18n invalidRelativePath;
+    public static I18n invalidAbsolutePath;
     public static I18n invalidPathParameter;
     public static I18n invalidNamePattern;
     public static I18n invalidNodeTypeNameParameter;
Index: modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrSession.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrSession.java	(revision 2499)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/main/java/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrSession.java	(working copy)
@@ -632,6 +632,20 @@ class JcrSession implements Session {
     }
 
     /**
+     * Throws a {@code RepositoryException} if {@code path} is not an absolute path, otherwise returns silently.
+     * 
+     * @param pathAsString the string representation of the path
+     * @param path the path to check
+     * @throws RepositoryException if {@code !path.isAbsolute()}
+     */
+    private void checkAbsolute( String pathAsString,
+                                Path path ) throws RepositoryException {
+        if (!path.isAbsolute()) {
+            throw new RepositoryException(JcrI18n.invalidAbsolutePath.text(pathAsString));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
      * @param absolutePath an absolute path
      * @return the specified node
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <code>absolutePath</code> is empty or <code>null</code>.
@@ -646,6 +660,9 @@ class JcrSession implements Session {
         if (path.isRoot()) {
             return getRootNode();
         }
+
+        checkAbsolute(absolutePath, path);
+
         return getNode(path);
     }
 
@@ -665,6 +682,9 @@ class JcrSession implements Session {
         if (path.isRoot()) {
             return true;
         }
+
+        checkAbsolute(absolutePath, path);
+
         try {
             cache.findJcrNode(null, path);
             return true;
@@ -692,6 +712,8 @@ class JcrSession implements Session {
             throw new PathNotFoundException(JcrI18n.identifierPathNeverReferencesProperty.text());
         }
 
+        checkAbsolute(absolutePath, path);
+
         Segment lastSegment = path.getLastSegment();
         if (lastSegment.hasIndex()) {
             throw new RepositoryException(JcrI18n.pathCannotHaveSameNameSiblingIndex.text(absolutePath));
@@ -724,6 +746,8 @@ class JcrSession implements Session {
             return false;
         }
 
+        checkAbsolute(absolutePath, path);
+
         Segment lastSegment = path.getLastSegment();
         if (lastSegment.hasIndex()) {
             throw new RepositoryException(JcrI18n.pathCannotHaveSameNameSiblingIndex.text(absolutePath));
Index: modeshape-jcr/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.properties
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.properties	(revision 2499)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/main/resources/org/modeshape/jcr/JcrI18n.properties	(working copy)
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ cleaningUpLocks = Lock clean up process begun
 cleanedUpLocks = Lock clean up process completed
 errorWhileInitializingTheNamespaceRegistry = Error while initializing the namespace registry for workspace "{0}"
 invalidRelativePath = "{0}" is not a valid relative path
+invalidAbsolutePath = "{0}" is not a valid absolute path
 invalidPathParameter = The "{1}" parameter value "{0}" was not a valid path
 invalidNamePattern = The "{1}" name pattern contained the '{0}' character, which is not allowed in a name pattern
 invalidNodeTypeNameParameter = The "{1}" parameter value "{0}" was not a valid node type name
Index: modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java
===================================================================
--- modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java	(revision 2499)
+++ modeshape-jcr/src/test/java/org/modeshape/jcr/ModeShapeTckTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -1240,4 +1240,30 @@ public class ModeShapeTckTest extends AbstractJCRTest {
         child.setProperty("foo", (Calendar)null);
     }
 
+    @FixFor( "MODE-1005" )
+    public void testShouldThrowRepositoryExceptionForRelativePathsInSessionGetNode() throws Exception {
+        try {
+            Node root = superuser.getRootNode();
+            root.addNode("nodeForRelativePathTest", "nt:unstructured");
+
+            superuser.getNode("nodeForRelativePathTest");
+            fail("Should throw RepositoryException when attempting to call Session.getNode(String) with a relative path");
+        } catch (RepositoryException re) {
+            // Expected
+        }
+    }
+
+    @FixFor( "MODE-1005" )
+    public void testShouldThrowRepositoryExceptionForRelativePathsInSessionGetProperty() throws Exception {
+        try {
+            Node root = superuser.getRootNode();
+            root.addNode("propertyNodeForRelativePathTest", "nt:unstructured");
+
+            superuser.getProperty("propertyNodeForRelativePathTest/jcr:primaryType");
+            fail("Should throw RepositoryException when attempting to call Session.getProperty(String) with a relative path");
+        } catch (RepositoryException re) {
+            // Expected
+        }
+    }
+
 }