diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/dns_rr/nsupdate.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/dns_rr/nsupdate.rb
index fca49ea..d5c3f9e 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/dns_rr/nsupdate.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/dns_rr/nsupdate.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-require 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate'
+begin
+  require 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate'
+rescue LoadError => e
+  # work around for puppet bug SERVER-973
+  Puppet.info('Puppet did not autoload from the lib directory... falling back to relative path load.')
+  require File.join(File.expand_path(File.join(__FILE__, '../../../..')), 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate')
+end
 
 Puppet::Type.type(:dns_rr).provide(:nsupdate) do
 
diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/resource_record/nsupdate.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/resource_record/nsupdate.rb
index d53f8f1..4613092 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/resource_record/nsupdate.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/resource_record/nsupdate.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-require 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate'
+begin
+  require 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate'
+rescue LoadError => e
+  # work around for puppet bug SERVER-973
+  Puppet.info('Puppet did not autoload from the lib directory... falling back to relative path load.')
+  require File.join(File.expand_path(File.join(__FILE__, '../../../..')), 'puppet_bind/provider/nsupdate')
+end
 
 Puppet::Type.type(:resource_record).provide(:nsupdate) do