diff --git a/src/rebar_prv_release.erl b/src/rebar_prv_release.erl
index d7495a5c..29e1dc21 100644
--- a/src/rebar_prv_release.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_prv_release.erl
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ init(State) ->
 do(State) ->
     Options = rebar_state:command_args(State),
     DepsDir = rebar_dir:deps_dir(State),
-    LibDirs = lists:usort(rebar_utils:filtermap(fun ec_file:exists/1, [DepsDir | ?DEFAULT_PROJECT_APP_DIRS])),
+    LibDirs = rebar_utils:filtermap(fun ec_file:exists/1,
+                                   [DepsDir | lists:delete(".", ?DEFAULT_PROJECT_APP_DIRS)]),
     OutputDir = filename:join(rebar_dir:base_dir(State), ?DEFAULT_RELEASE_DIR),
     AllOptions = string:join(["release" | Options], " "),
     try
diff --git a/src/rebar_prv_tar.erl b/src/rebar_prv_tar.erl
index 2a69a28d..7efa5441 100644
--- a/src/rebar_prv_tar.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_prv_tar.erl
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ init(State) ->
 do(State) ->
     Options = rebar_state:command_args(State),
     DepsDir = rebar_dir:deps_dir(State),
-    LibDirs = lists:usort(rebar_utils:filtermap(fun ec_file:exists/1, [DepsDir | ?DEFAULT_PROJECT_APP_DIRS])),
+    LibDirs = rebar_utils:filtermap(fun ec_file:exists/1,
+                                   [DepsDir | lists:delete(".", ?DEFAULT_PROJECT_APP_DIRS)]),
     OutputDir = filename:join(rebar_dir:base_dir(State), ?DEFAULT_RELEASE_DIR),
     AllOptions = string:join(["release", "tar" | Options], " "),
     case rebar_state:get(State, relx, []) of