diff --git a/src/pacman/query.c b/src/pacman/query.c
index e780d6e0..8a8765b6 100644
--- a/src/pacman/query.c
+++ b/src/pacman/query.c
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ static int query_fileowner(alpm_list_t *targets)
 	for(t = targets; t; t = alpm_list_next(t)) {
 		int found = 0;
 		char *filename = alpm_list_getdata(t);
+		char *bname;
 		char *rpath;
 		struct stat buf;
 		alpm_list_t *i, *j;
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ static int query_fileowner(alpm_list_t *targets)
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		bname = mbasename(filename);
+
 		if(!(rpath = resolve_path(filename))) {
 			fprintf(stderr, _("error: cannot determine real path for '%s': %s\n"),
 					filename, strerror(errno));
@@ -103,6 +106,11 @@ static int query_fileowner(alpm_list_t *targets)
 				snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s%s",
 				         alpm_option_get_root(), (const char *)alpm_list_getdata(j));
 
+				/* avoid the costly resolve_path usage if the basenames don't match */
+				if(strcmp(mbasename(path), bname) != 0) {
+					continue;
+				}
+
 				ppath = resolve_path(path);
 
 				if(ppath && strcmp(ppath, rpath) == 0) {