diff --git a/vgo-core/src/main/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePaths.kt b/vgo-core/src/main/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePaths.kt
index ebeebbbb..d32649da 100644
--- a/vgo-core/src/main/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePaths.kt
+++ b/vgo-core/src/main/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePaths.kt
@@ -112,14 +112,15 @@ class MergePaths(
         for (current in paths.drop(1)) {
             val previous = mergedPaths.last()
 
-            val currentLength = current.commands.joinToString("", transform = constraints.commandPrinter::print).length
+            val mergeableCommands = makeFirstCommandAbsolute(current.commands)
+            val currentLength = mergeableCommands.joinToString("", transform = constraints.commandPrinter::print).length
             val accumulatedLength = pathLength + currentLength
 
             if (accumulatedLength > constraints.maxLength || unableToMerge(previous, current)) {
                 mergedPaths.add(current)
                 pathLength = currentLength
             } else {
-                previous.commands += makeFirstCommandAbsolute(current.commands)
+                previous.commands += mergeableCommands
                 pathLength = accumulatedLength
             }
         }
diff --git a/vgo-core/src/test/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePathsTests.kt b/vgo-core/src/test/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePathsTests.kt
index 174eb90a..97325787 100644
--- a/vgo-core/src/test/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePathsTests.kt
+++ b/vgo-core/src/test/kotlin/com/jzbrooks/vgo/core/optimization/MergePathsTests.kt
@@ -491,4 +491,32 @@ class MergePathsTests {
                     .isEqualTo(listOf(Point(10f, 10f), Point(20f, 20f)))
             }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun mergedPathsInitialCommandIsMadeAbsoluteBeforeConstraints() {
+        // This would be merged if directly considered by constraints (merged length is 15)
+        // M0,0
+        // m10,10 1,1 -> M0,0 m10,10 1, 1
+
+        // When the relative command is made absolute for merging, the merged path would
+        // be longer (17 chars) than the constraint.
+        // M0,0
+        // M10,10 11,11 -> M0,0 M10,10 11,11
+        val paths =
+            listOf(
+                createPath(
+                    listOf(MoveTo(CommandVariant.ABSOLUTE, listOf(Point(0f, 0f)))),
+                ),
+                createPath(
+                    listOf(MoveTo(CommandVariant.RELATIVE, listOf(Point(10f, 10f), Point(1f, 1f), Point(1f, 1f)))),
+                ),
+            )
+
+        val graphic = createGraphic(paths)
+        val optimization = MergePaths(MergePaths.Constraints.PathLength(FakeCommandPrinter(), 16))
+
+        traverseBottomUp(graphic) { it.accept(optimization) }
+
+        assertThat(graphic::elements).hasSize(2)
+    }
 }