diff --git a/lib/Locale/Messages.pm b/lib/Locale/Messages.pm
index e3fcd7b..b576b91 100755
--- a/lib/Locale/Messages.pm
+++ b/lib/Locale/Messages.pm
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ $VERSION = '1.23';
 # Try to load the C version first.
 $package = 'gettext_xs';
 my $can_xs = 1;
+local @INC = @INC;
+pop @INC if $INC[-1] eq '.';
 eval <<'EOF';
 require Locale::gettext_xs; 
 my $version = Locale::gettext_xs::__gettext_xs_version();
@@ -200,9 +204,15 @@ sub select_package {
         my $filename = "Locale::$pkg";
         $filename =~ s{::|\'}{/};
 	$filename .= '.pm';
-        eval { require $filename };
+        eval {
+            local @INC = @INC;
+            pop @INC if $INC[-1] eq '.';
+            require $filename
+        };
 	$package = $pkg unless $@;   
     } else {
+        local @INC = @INC;
+        pop @INC if $INC[-1] eq '.';
         eval "require Locale::gettext_xs";
         $package = 'gettext_xs' unless $@;
     }