diff --git a/pdoc/render_helpers.py b/pdoc/render_helpers.py
index b3672ca5..1497defc 100644
--- a/pdoc/render_helpers.py
+++ b/pdoc/render_helpers.py
@@ -212,10 +212,13 @@ def possible_sources(
         yield identifier, ""
         return
 
-    if len(set(s.partition(".")[0] for s in all_modules)) == 1:
+    # handle relative identifiers
+    if identifier.startswith("."):
         pkgname = next(iter(all_modules)).partition(".")[0]
-        if not identifier.startswith(pkgname):
-            identifier = f"{pkgname}.{identifier}"
+        # check that all modules reside within the same top-level module
+        if all(s.startswith(pkgname + ".") or s == pkgname for s in all_modules):
+            if not identifier.startswith(pkgname):
+                identifier = f"{pkgname}{identifier}"
 
     modulename = identifier
     qualname = None
@@ -342,7 +345,7 @@ def linkify_repl(m: re.Match):
             r"""
             # Part 1: foo.bar or foo.bar() (without backticks)
             (?<![/=?#&])  # heuristic: not part of a URL
-            \b
+            (?:\.|\b)
 
             # First part of the identifier (e.g. "foo")
             (?!\d)[a-zA-Z0-9_]+
diff --git a/test/testdata/demopackage.html b/test/testdata/demopackage.html
index 3715702b..4f067df9 100644
--- a/test/testdata/demopackage.html
+++ b/test/testdata/demopackage.html
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ <h1 class="modulename">
 </span></pre></div>
 
 
-            <div class="docstring"><p>This class is defined in .child_c and inherits from .<a href="#B">demopackage.B</a></p>
+            <div class="docstring"><p>This class is defined in .child_c and inherits from <a href="#B">demopackage.B</a></p>
 </div>
 
 
diff --git a/test/testdata/single_module_links.html b/test/testdata/single_module_links.html
index a1b0e746..15694559 100644
--- a/test/testdata/single_module_links.html
+++ b/test/testdata/single_module_links.html
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ <h1 class="modulename">
 </span><span id="L-6"><a href="#L-6"><span class="linenos"> 6</span></a><span class="w">    </span><span class="sd">&#39;&#39;&#39;</span>
 </span><span id="L-7"><a href="#L-7"><span class="linenos"> 7</span></a><span class="sd">    Test that submodules are linked to when documenting a single module.</span>
 </span><span id="L-8"><a href="#L-8"><span class="linenos"> 8</span></a>
-</span><span id="L-9"><a href="#L-9"><span class="linenos"> 9</span></a><span class="sd">    Do `helpers.something` with a `types.BigThing`</span>
+</span><span id="L-9"><a href="#L-9"><span class="linenos"> 9</span></a><span class="sd">    Do `.helpers.something` with a `.types.BigThing`</span>
 </span><span id="L-10"><a href="#L-10"><span class="linenos">10</span></a><span class="sd">    &#39;&#39;&#39;</span>
 </span><span id="L-11"><a href="#L-11"><span class="linenos">11</span></a>    <span class="n">something</span><span class="p">()</span>
 </span><span id="L-12"><a href="#L-12"><span class="linenos">12</span></a>    <span class="n">BigThing</span><span class="p">()</span>
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ <h1 class="modulename">
 </span><span id="abc-7"><a href="#abc-7"><span class="linenos"> 7</span></a><span class="w">    </span><span class="sd">&#39;&#39;&#39;</span>
 </span><span id="abc-8"><a href="#abc-8"><span class="linenos"> 8</span></a><span class="sd">    Test that submodules are linked to when documenting a single module.</span>
 </span><span id="abc-9"><a href="#abc-9"><span class="linenos"> 9</span></a>
-</span><span id="abc-10"><a href="#abc-10"><span class="linenos">10</span></a><span class="sd">    Do `helpers.something` with a `types.BigThing`</span>
+</span><span id="abc-10"><a href="#abc-10"><span class="linenos">10</span></a><span class="sd">    Do `.helpers.something` with a `.types.BigThing`</span>
 </span><span id="abc-11"><a href="#abc-11"><span class="linenos">11</span></a><span class="sd">    &#39;&#39;&#39;</span>
 </span><span id="abc-12"><a href="#abc-12"><span class="linenos">12</span></a>    <span class="n">something</span><span class="p">()</span>
 </span><span id="abc-13"><a href="#abc-13"><span class="linenos">13</span></a>    <span class="n">BigThing</span><span class="p">()</span>
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ <h1 class="modulename">
 
             <div class="docstring"><p>Test that submodules are linked to when documenting a single module.</p>
 
-<p>Do <code><a href="single_module_links/helpers.html#something">helpers.something</a></code> with a <code><a href="single_module_links/types.html#BigThing">types.BigThing</a></code></p>
+<p>Do <code><a href="single_module_links/helpers.html#something">.helpers.something</a></code> with a <code><a href="single_module_links/types.html#BigThing">.types.BigThing</a></code></p>
 </div>
 
 
diff --git a/test/testdata/single_module_links/__init__.py b/test/testdata/single_module_links/__init__.py
index a8c14301..57b24933 100644
--- a/test/testdata/single_module_links/__init__.py
+++ b/test/testdata/single_module_links/__init__.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def abc():
     '''
     Test that submodules are linked to when documenting a single module.
 
-    Do `helpers.something` with a `types.BigThing`
+    Do `.helpers.something` with a `.types.BigThing`
     '''
     something()
     BigThing()