diff --git a/src/nix/installables.cc b/src/nix/installables.cc
index 40248eb5d..38ae416e3 100644
--- a/src/nix/installables.cc
+++ b/src/nix/installables.cc
@@ -314,6 +314,10 @@ std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Installable>> SourceExprCommand::parseInstallables(
                         Strings{"packages." + std::string(s, 8)}));
             }
 
+            else if (auto flakeRef = parseFlakeRef(s, true))
+                result.push_back(std::make_shared<InstallableFlake>(*this, s,
+                        getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths()));
+
             else if ((colon = s.rfind(':')) != std::string::npos) {
                 auto flakeRef = std::string(s, 0, colon);
                 auto attrPath = std::string(s, colon + 1);
@@ -332,10 +336,6 @@ std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Installable>> SourceExprCommand::parseInstallables(
                             getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths()));
             }
 
-            else if (auto flakeRef = parseFlakeRef(s, true))
-                result.push_back(std::make_shared<InstallableFlake>(*this, s,
-                        getDefaultFlakeAttrPaths()));
-
             else
                 result.push_back(std::make_shared<InstallableFlake>(*this, FlakeRef("nixpkgs"), s));
         }
diff --git a/tests/flakes.sh b/tests/flakes.sh
index 8b9cb7260..c4dd8c333 100644
--- a/tests/flakes.sh
+++ b/tests/flakes.sh
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --flake-registry $registry flake1:foo
 nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --flake-registry $registry flake1
 [[ -e $TEST_ROOT/result/hello ]]
 
+nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --flake-registry $registry $flake1Dir
+nix build -o $TEST_ROOT/result --flake-registry $registry file://$flake1Dir
+
 # Building a flake with an unlocked dependency should fail in pure mode.
 (! nix eval "(builtins.getFlake "$flake2Dir")")