diff --git a/src/ur/dashboard_client.cpp b/src/ur/dashboard_client.cpp
index 41a43c94a..ff1d5180e 100644
--- a/src/ur/dashboard_client.cpp
+++ b/src/ur/dashboard_client.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
  */
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <regex>
 #include <thread>
@@ -246,8 +247,12 @@ bool DashboardClient::commandBrakeRelease()
 bool DashboardClient::commandLoadProgram(const std::string& program_file_name)
 {
   assertVersion("5.0.0", "1.4", "load <program>");
+  // We load the program, which will fail if the program is not found or the requested file does
+  // not contain a valid program. Afterwards, we wait until the program state is stopped with a
+  // program named the same as the requested program. We cannot check the full file path here, but
+  // the important thing is that the program state is stopped.
   return sendRequest("load " + program_file_name + "", "(?:Loading program: ).*(?:" + program_file_name + ").*") &&
-         waitForReply("programState", "STOPPED " + program_file_name);
+         waitForReply("programState", "STOPPED " + std::filesystem::path{ program_file_name }.filename().string());
 }
 
 bool DashboardClient::commandLoadInstallation(const std::string& installation_file_name)
diff --git a/tests/test_dashboard_client.cpp b/tests/test_dashboard_client.cpp
index 50e9e192d..43da19567 100644
--- a/tests/test_dashboard_client.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_dashboard_client.cpp
@@ -242,6 +242,13 @@ TEST_F(DashboardClientTest, connecting_twice_returns_false)
   EXPECT_FALSE(dashboard_client_->connect());
 }
 
+TEST_F(DashboardClientTest, load_program_in_subdir_works)
+{
+  ASSERT_TRUE(dashboard_client_->connect());
+
+  ASSERT_TRUE(dashboard_client_->commandLoadProgram("/ursim/programs/wait_program.urp"));
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
   ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);