diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_all_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run_all_tests.yml
index f30a5cf8..5f5810cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_all_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_all_tests.yml
@@ -158,8 +158,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no
           conda info
-          # the conda dependency resolution for tox under python 3.8 can install the wrong importlib_metadata
-          conda install -c conda-forge tox "importlib_metadata>4"
+          conda install -c conda-forge tox
 
       - name: Conda reporting
         run: |
diff --git a/src/hdmf_zarr/backend.py b/src/hdmf_zarr/backend.py
index adac08f6..4f588c23 100644
--- a/src/hdmf_zarr/backend.py
+++ b/src/hdmf_zarr/backend.py
@@ -586,13 +586,14 @@ def __get_ref(self, ref_object, export_source=None):
                   else self.source)
 
         # Make the source relative to the current file
-        source = os.path.relpath(os.path.abspath(source), start=self.abspath)
         # TODO: This check assumes that all links are internal links on export.
         # Need to deal with external links on export.
         if export_source is not None:
             # Make sure the source of the reference is now towards the new file
             # and not the original source when exporting.
             source = '.'
+        else:
+            source = os.path.relpath(os.path.abspath(source), start=self.abspath)
         # Return the ZarrReference object
         return ZarrReference(source, path)