diff --git a/target/sim/sim.mk b/target/sim/sim.mk
index 6e4725a..52d67f7 100644
--- a/target/sim/sim.mk
+++ b/target/sim/sim.mk
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ HYP1_PRELOAD_MEM_FILE ?= ""
 CHIM_VLOG_ARGS += +define+HYP_USER_PRELOAD="$(HYP_USER_PRELOAD)"
 CHIM_VLOG_ARGS += +define+HYP0_PRELOAD_MEM_FILE=\"$(HYP0_PRELOAD_MEM_FILE)\"
 CHIM_VLOG_ARGS += +define+HYP1_PRELOAD_MEM_FILE=\"$(HYP1_PRELOAD_MEM_FILE)\"
-CHIM_VLOG_ARGS += +define+PATH_TO_HYP_SDF=\"$(realpath $(CHIM_SIM_DIR)/models/s27ks0641/s27ks0641.sdf)\"
+# this path should be kept relative to the vsim directory to avoid CI issues:
+# an absolute path produce inter-CI-runner file accesses
+CHIM_VLOG_ARGS += +define+PATH_TO_HYP_SDF=\"../models/s27ks0641/s27ks0641.sdf\"
 
 # Generate vsim compilation script
 $(CHIM_SIM_DIR)/vsim/compile.tcl: chs-hw-init snitch-hw-init