diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f126dfd..8de7664 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -651,6 +651,9 @@ to the expected behavior.
 * Fix for [#203](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/issues/203), directory
   iteration and `proximate()` are available in builds without exception
   support, with iteration errors terminating the process.
+* Fix for [#185](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/issues/185),
+  `lexically_normal()` now preserves unresolved parent components in relative
+  paths.
 * Pull requests [#198](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/pull/198) and
   [#199](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/pull/199), updated CI for current
   runners and compiler toolchains, retaining legacy compiler and MSVC v142
diff --git a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
index 985472b..8f6529f 100644
--- a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
+++ b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
@@ -3269,12 +3269,18 @@ GHC_INLINE path path::lexically_normal() const
             if (dest == root) {
                 continue;
             }
-            else if (*(--dest.end()) != "..") {
-                if (dest._path.back() == preferred_separator) {
-                    dest._path.pop_back();
+            else {
+                auto last = --dest.end();
+                if (last->empty() && last != dest.begin()) {
+                    --last;
+                }
+                if (!last->empty() && *last != "..") {
+                    if (dest._path.back() == preferred_separator) {
+                        dest._path.pop_back();
+                    }
+                    dest.remove_filename();
+                    continue;
                 }
-                dest.remove_filename();
-                continue;
             }
         }
         if (!(s.empty() && lastDotDot)) {
diff --git a/test/filesystem_test.cpp b/test/filesystem_test.cpp
index 7fe5b33..fc202fa 100644
--- a/test/filesystem_test.cpp
+++ b/test/filesystem_test.cpp
@@ -956,6 +956,9 @@ TEST_CASE("fs.path.gen - path generation", "[filesystem][path][fs.path.gen]")
     CHECK(fs::path("ab/cd/ef/../../qw").lexically_normal() == "ab/qw");
     CHECK(fs::path("a/b/../../../c").lexically_normal() == "../c");
     CHECK(fs::path("../").lexically_normal() == "..");
+    CHECK(fs::path("./../foo/../bar").lexically_normal() == "../bar");
+    CHECK(fs::path("./../foo/../../bar").lexically_normal() == "../../bar");
+    CHECK(fs::path("../../foo/../bar").lexically_normal() == "../../bar");
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     CHECK(fs::path("\\/\\///\\/").lexically_normal() == "/");
     CHECK(fs::path("a/b/..\\//..///\\/../c\\\\/").lexically_normal() == "../c/");