diff --git a/mlflow/mleap.py b/mlflow/mleap.py
index 00c03df321de9..21c4b58ece7a9 100644
--- a/mlflow/mleap.py
+++ b/mlflow/mleap.py
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ def add_to_model(mlflow_model, path, spark_model, sample_input):
         raise Exception("The sample input must be a PySpark dataframe of type `{df_type}`".format(
             df_type=DataFrame.__module__))
 
+    # MLeap's model serialization routine requires an absolute output path
+    path = os.path.abspath(path)
+
     mleap_path_full = os.path.join(path, "mleap")
     mleap_datapath_sub = os.path.join("mleap", "model")
     mleap_datapath_full = os.path.join(path, mleap_datapath_sub)
diff --git a/tests/spark/test_spark_model_export.py b/tests/spark/test_spark_model_export.py
index 8db58ce35d7d0..036882c617cb7 100644
--- a/tests/spark/test_spark_model_export.py
+++ b/tests/spark/test_spark_model_export.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from mlflow import active_run, pyfunc, mleap
 from mlflow import spark as sparkm
 from mlflow.models import Model
+from mlflow.utils.file_utils import TempDir
 
 from mlflow.utils.environment import _mlflow_conda_env
 from tests.helper_functions import score_model_in_sagemaker_docker_container
@@ -47,8 +48,8 @@ def spark_conda_env(tmpdir):
 def spark_context():
     conf = pyspark.SparkConf()
     conf.set(key="spark.jars.packages",
-             value='ml.combust.mleap:mleap-spark-base_2.11:0.10.0,'
-                   'ml.combust.mleap:mleap-spark_2.11:0.10.0')
+             value='ml.combust.mleap:mleap-spark-base_2.11:0.12.0,'
+                   'ml.combust.mleap:mleap-spark_2.11:0.12.0')
     conf.set(key="spark_session.python.worker.reuse", value=True)
     sc = pyspark.SparkContext(master="local-cluster[2, 1, 1024]", conf=conf).getOrCreate()
     return sc
@@ -236,8 +237,43 @@ def _transform(self, dataset):
                           sample_input=spark_model_iris.spark_df)
 
 
-def test_mleap_module_model_save_with_valid_sample_input_produces_mleap_flavor(
+def test_spark_module_model_save_with_relative_path_and_valid_sample_input_produces_mleap_flavor(
+        spark_model_iris):
+    with TempDir(chdr=True) as tmp:
+        model_path = os.path.basename(tmp.path("model"))
+        mlflow_model = Model()
+        sparkm.save_model(spark_model=spark_model_iris.model,
+                          path=model_path,
+                          sample_input=spark_model_iris.spark_df,
+                          mlflow_model=mlflow_model)
+        assert mleap.FLAVOR_NAME in mlflow_model.flavors
+
+        config_path = os.path.join(model_path, "MLmodel")
+        assert os.path.exists(config_path)
+        config = Model.load(config_path)
+        assert mleap.FLAVOR_NAME in config.flavors
+
+
+def test_mleap_module_model_save_with_relative_path_and_valid_sample_input_produces_mleap_flavor(
+        spark_model_iris):
+    with TempDir(chdr=True) as tmp:
+        model_path = os.path.basename(tmp.path("model"))
+        mlflow_model = Model()
+        mleap.save_model(spark_model=spark_model_iris.model,
+                         path=model_path,
+                         sample_input=spark_model_iris.spark_df,
+                         mlflow_model=mlflow_model)
+        assert mleap.FLAVOR_NAME in mlflow_model.flavors
+
+        config_path = os.path.join(model_path, "MLmodel")
+        assert os.path.exists(config_path)
+        config = Model.load(config_path)
+        assert mleap.FLAVOR_NAME in config.flavors
+
+
+def test_mleap_module_model_save_with_absolute_path_and_valid_sample_input_produces_mleap_flavor(
         spark_model_iris, model_path):
+    model_path = os.path.abspath(model_path)
     mlflow_model = Model()
     mleap.save_model(spark_model=spark_model_iris.model,
                      path=model_path,