diff --git a/src/services/getEditsForFileRename.ts b/src/services/getEditsForFileRename.ts
index e503826dc8c..d2b17739824 100644
--- a/src/services/getEditsForFileRename.ts
+++ b/src/services/getEditsForFileRename.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ namespace ts {
                     const toImport = oldFromNew !== undefined
                         // If we're at the new location (file was already renamed), need to redo module resolution starting from the old location.
                         // TODO:GH#18217
-                        ? getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(resolveModuleName(importLiteral.text, oldImportFromPath, program.getCompilerOptions(), host as ModuleResolutionHost),
+                        ? getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(importLiteral, resolveModuleName(importLiteral.text, oldImportFromPath, program.getCompilerOptions(), host as ModuleResolutionHost),
                                                             oldToNew, allFiles)
                         : getSourceFileToImport(importedModuleSymbol, importLiteral, sourceFile, program, host, oldToNew);
 
@@ -193,11 +193,11 @@ namespace ts {
             const resolved = host.resolveModuleNames
                 ? host.getResolvedModuleWithFailedLookupLocationsFromCache && host.getResolvedModuleWithFailedLookupLocationsFromCache(importLiteral.text, importingSourceFile.fileName)
                 : program.getResolvedModuleWithFailedLookupLocationsFromCache(importLiteral.text, importingSourceFile.fileName);
-            return getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(resolved, oldToNew, program.getSourceFiles());
+            return getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(importLiteral, resolved, oldToNew, program.getSourceFiles());
         }
     }
 
-    function getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(resolved: ResolvedModuleWithFailedLookupLocations | undefined, oldToNew: PathUpdater, sourceFiles: readonly SourceFile[]): ToImport | undefined {
+    function getSourceFileToImportFromResolved(importLiteral: StringLiteralLike, resolved: ResolvedModuleWithFailedLookupLocations | undefined, oldToNew: PathUpdater, sourceFiles: readonly SourceFile[]): ToImport | undefined {
         // Search through all locations looking for a moved file, and only then test already existing files.
         // This is because if `a.ts` is compiled to `a.js` and `a.ts` is moved, we don't want to resolve anything to `a.js`, but to `a.ts`'s new location.
         if (!resolved) return undefined;
@@ -210,8 +210,9 @@ namespace ts {
 
         // Then failed lookups that are in the list of sources
         const result = forEach(resolved.failedLookupLocations, tryChangeWithIgnoringPackageJsonExisting)
-            // Then failed lookups except package.json since we dont want to touch them (only included ts/js files)
-            || forEach(resolved.failedLookupLocations, tryChangeWithIgnoringPackageJson);
+            // Then failed lookups except package.json since we dont want to touch them (only included ts/js files).
+            // At this point, the confidence level of this fix being correct is too low to change bare specifiers or absolute paths.
+            || pathIsRelative(importLiteral.text) && forEach(resolved.failedLookupLocations, tryChangeWithIgnoringPackageJson);
         if (result) return result;
 
         // If nothing changed, then result is resolved module file thats not updated
diff --git a/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableImport.ts b/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableImport.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..141142382df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableImport.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/// <reference path="fourslash.ts" />
+
+// @Filename: /tsconfig.json
+//// {
+////   "compilerOptions": {
+////     "allowJs": true,
+////     "paths": {
+////       "*": ["./next/src/*"],
+////       "@app": ["./modules/@app/*"],
+////       "@app/*": ["./modules/@app/*"],
+////       "@local": ["./modules/@local/*"],
+////       "@local/*": ["./modules/@local/*"]
+////     }
+////   }
+//// }
+
+// @Filename: /modules/@app/something/index.js
+//// import "@local/some-other-import";
+
+// @Filename: /modules/@local/index.js
+//// import "@local/some-other-import";
+
+verify.getEditsForFileRename({
+  oldPath: "/modules/@app/something",
+  newPath: "/modules/@app/something-2",
+  newFileContents: {}
+});
diff --git a/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableNodeModule.ts b/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableNodeModule.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0f77242a9ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/fourslash/getEditsForFileRename_unresolvableNodeModule.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/// <reference path="fourslash.ts" />
+
+// @allowJs: true
+// @checkJs: true
+
+// @Filename: /modules/@app/something/index.js
+//// import "doesnt-exist";
+
+// @Filename: /modules/@local/foo.js
+//// import "doesnt-exist"; 
+
+verify.getEditsForFileRename({
+  oldPath: "/modules/@app/something",
+  newPath: "/modules/@app/something-2",
+  newFileContents: {}
+});