diff --git a/.nycrc b/.nycrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06e61ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nycrc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+    "check-coverage": true,
+    "statements": 100,
+    "branches": 100,
+    "functions": 100,
+    "lines": 100
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bdbcfdf..811816f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ const Determination = require('@vrbo/determination');
 **Determination.create(options)**
 
 - `options` (_Object_) - an options object containing:
-    - `config` (_String_) - required path to a JSON configuration.
+    - `config` (_String_ | _Object_) - required, either a path to a JSON configuration file or an object.
+    - `basedir` (_String_) - optional path used for resolving relative imports within configs. If config is a file, it defaults to the config file's directory. If config is an object, it defaults to `process.cwd()`.
     - `criteria` (_Object_) - optional resolution criteria. See [confidence](https://github.com/hapijs/confidence). Minimally will always contain `process.env` under the key `env`.
     - `protocols` (_Object_) - optional mapping of protocols for [shortstop](https://github.com/krakenjs/shortstop). Protocols are bound with context `config`, where `config` is the configuration being resolved. Obviously this doesn't work with arrow functions.
     - `defaults` (_Object_ | _String_) - optional default pre-resolved configuration values.
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 96ae1b7..15bfe96 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ const Resolver = require('./resolver');
 const Store = require('./store');
 
 const schema = Joi.object({
-    config: Joi.string().required(),
+    config: Joi.alternatives(Joi.string(), Joi.object()).required(),
+    basedir: Joi.string(),
     criteria: Joi.object().default({}),
     protocols: Joi.object().default({}),
     defaults: Joi.alternatives(Joi.string(), Joi.object()).default({}),
diff --git a/lib/resolver.js b/lib/resolver.js
index 8ec18fc..6af5b56 100644
--- a/lib/resolver.js
+++ b/lib/resolver.js
@@ -69,10 +69,14 @@ const loadAndParseJson = function (file) {
     }
 };
 
-const resolver = async function ({ config, criteria, protocols, defaults, overrides }) {
+const resolver = async function ({ config, basedir, criteria, protocols, defaults, overrides }) {
 
-    const basedir = Path.dirname(config);
-    const configobject = loadAndParseJson(config);
+    let configobject = config;
+    
+    if (typeof config === 'string') {
+        configobject = loadAndParseJson(config);
+        basedir = Path.dirname(config);
+    }
 
     if (typeof defaults === 'string') {
         defaults = loadAndParseJson(defaults);
@@ -91,6 +95,10 @@ const resolver = async function ({ config, criteria, protocols, defaults, overri
 
     const importsResolved = await resolveProtocols(resolvedCriteria, {
         import(key) {
+            if (!basedir) {
+                console.log('@vrbo/determination: No basedir set, defaulting to "process.cwd()" for resolving relative json imports.');
+                basedir = process.cwd();
+            }
             return resolveCriteria(loadAndParseJson(Path.resolve(Path.join(basedir, key))), criteria);
         }
     });
@@ -112,6 +120,7 @@ const resolver = async function ({ config, criteria, protocols, defaults, overri
                 result = result[prop];
             }
 
+            /* istanbul ignore next */
             return keys.length ? null : result;
         }
     });
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7d11d01..b436d3e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "commit": "cz",
-    "cover": "nyc npm test",
     "lint": "eslint lib",
-    "test": "npm run lint && ENV_TEST=5678 tape test/*.js"
+    "unit": "npm run lint && ENV_TEST=5678 tape test/*.js",
+    "test": "nyc npm run unit"
   },
   "config": {
     "commitizen": {
diff --git a/test/test-determination.js b/test/test-determination.js
index 55a6f21..a056f3e 100644
--- a/test/test-determination.js
+++ b/test/test-determination.js
@@ -45,6 +45,50 @@ Test('test determination', (t) => {
 
     });
 
+    t.test('resolve import, no basedir', async (t) => {
+        t.plan(1);
+
+        const criteria = {
+            pass: 'false'
+        };
+
+        const configObj = {
+            a: 'import:./test/fixtures/a.json'
+        };
+
+        try {
+            const config = await Determination.create({ config: configObj, criteria }).resolve();
+
+            t.equal(config.get('a.test.value'), false, 'criteria resolved.');
+        }
+        catch (error) {
+            console.log(error);
+        }
+
+    });
+
+    t.test('resolve with config as object', async (t) => {
+        t.plan(3);
+
+        const configObj = {
+            test: 'foo',
+            copy: 'config:test',
+            array: ['config:test']
+        };
+
+        try {
+            const config = await Determination.create({ config: configObj, basedir: '/' }).resolve();
+
+            t.equal(config.get('test'), 'foo', 'criteria resolved.');
+            t.equal(config.get('copy'), 'foo', 'config resolved.');
+            t.equal(config.get('array')[0], 'foo', 'array resolved protocol.');
+        }
+        catch (error) {
+            console.log(error);
+        }
+
+    });
+
     t.test('resolve with defaults', async (t) => {
         t.plan(3);