diff --git a/packages/slidev/node/options.ts b/packages/slidev/node/options.ts
index b5529c017f..20b0e79050 100644
--- a/packages/slidev/node/options.ts
+++ b/packages/slidev/node/options.ts
@@ -61,13 +61,25 @@ export function getCLIRoot() {
   return resolve(__dirname, '..')
 }
 
-export function getThemeRoots(name: string) {
+export function isRelative(name: string) {
+  return /^\.\.?[\/\\]/.test(name)
+}
+
+export function getThemeRoots(name: string, entry: string) {
   if (!name)
     return []
 
-  return [
-    dirname(require.resolve(`${name}/package.json`)),
-  ]
+  // TODO: handle theme inherit
+  if (isRelative(name)) {
+    return [
+      resolve(dirname(entry), name),
+    ]
+  }
+  else {
+    return [
+      dirname(require.resolve(`${name}/package.json`)),
+    ]
+  }
 }
 
 export async function resolveOptions(
@@ -95,7 +107,7 @@ export async function resolveOptions(
 
   const clientRoot = getClientRoot()
   const cliRoot = getCLIRoot()
-  const themeRoots = getThemeRoots(theme)
+  const themeRoots = getThemeRoots(theme, entry)
   const roots = uniq([clientRoot, ...themeRoots, userRoot])
 
   return {
diff --git a/packages/slidev/node/themes.ts b/packages/slidev/node/themes.ts
index 00c41ce800..5cddcfb836 100644
--- a/packages/slidev/node/themes.ts
+++ b/packages/slidev/node/themes.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import prompts from 'prompts'
 import { parseNi, run } from '@antfu/ni'
+import { isRelative } from './options'
 
 const officialThemes: Record<string, string> = {
   none: '',
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ export function resolveThemeName(name: string) {
     return ''
   if (name.startsWith('@slidev/theme-') || name.startsWith('slidev-theme-'))
     return name
+  if (name.startsWith('.'))
+    return name
   if (officialThemes[name] !== null)
     return officialThemes[name]
 
@@ -32,7 +35,7 @@ export async function promptForThemeInstallation(name: string) {
   if (!name)
     return name
 
-  if (packageExists(name))
+  if (isRelative(name) || packageExists(name))
     return name
 
   const { confirm } = await prompts({