diff --git a/packages/schema/src/cli/actions/repl.ts b/packages/schema/src/cli/actions/repl.ts
index b7329bee4..8c40089b0 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/cli/actions/repl.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/cli/actions/repl.ts
@@ -23,8 +23,24 @@ export async function repl(projectPath: string, options: { prismaClient?: string
     console.log();
     console.log(`Running as anonymous user. Use ".auth" to set current user.`);
 
-    const prismaClientModule = options.prismaClient ?? path.join(projectPath, './node_modules/.prisma/client');
-    const { PrismaClient } = require(prismaClientModule);
+    let PrismaClient: any;
+
+    const prismaClientModule = options.prismaClient ?? '@prisma/client';
+
+    try {
+        // try direct require
+        const module = require(prismaClientModule);
+        PrismaClient = module.PrismaClient;
+    } catch (err) {
+        if (!path.isAbsolute(prismaClientModule)) {
+            // try relative require
+            const module = require(path.join(projectPath, prismaClientModule));
+            PrismaClient = module.PrismaClient;
+        } else {
+            throw err;
+        }
+    }
+
     const { enhance } = require('@zenstackhq/runtime');
 
     let debug = !!options.debug;
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/cli/cli-util.ts b/packages/schema/src/cli/cli-util.ts
index d183e9be2..f7e090990 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/cli/cli-util.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/cli/cli-util.ts
@@ -161,14 +161,24 @@ export async function getPluginDocuments(services: ZModelServices, fileName: str
         if (isPlugin(decl)) {
             const providerField = decl.fields.find((f) => f.name === 'provider');
             if (providerField) {
-                let provider = getLiteral<string>(providerField.value);
+                const provider = getLiteral<string>(providerField.value);
                 if (provider) {
+                    let pluginEntrance: string | undefined;
                     try {
-                        if (provider.startsWith('.')) {
-                            // resolve relative path against the schema file
-                            provider = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileName), provider);
+                        // direct require
+                        pluginEntrance = require.resolve(provider);
+                    } catch {
+                        if (!path.isAbsolute(provider)) {
+                            // relative path
+                            try {
+                                pluginEntrance = require.resolve(path.join(path.dirname(fileName), provider));
+                            } catch {
+                                // noop
+                            }
                         }
-                        const pluginEntrance = require.resolve(`${provider}`);
+                    }
+
+                    if (pluginEntrance) {
                         const pluginModelFile = path.join(path.dirname(pluginEntrance), PLUGIN_MODULE_NAME);
                         if (fs.existsSync(pluginModelFile)) {
                             result.push(
@@ -177,8 +187,6 @@ export async function getPluginDocuments(services: ZModelServices, fileName: str
                                 )
                             );
                         }
-                    } catch {
-                        // noop
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/cli/plugin-runner.ts b/packages/schema/src/cli/plugin-runner.ts
index f2a3f92a1..d76d43522 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/cli/plugin-runner.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/cli/plugin-runner.ts
@@ -62,13 +62,14 @@ export class PluginRunner {
                 console.error(`Plugin ${pluginDecl.name} has invalid provider option`);
                 throw new PluginError('', `Plugin ${pluginDecl.name} has invalid provider option`);
             }
-            const pluginModulePath = this.getPluginModulePath(pluginProvider, options);
+
             // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
             let pluginModule: any;
+
             try {
-                pluginModule = require(pluginModulePath);
+                pluginModule = this.loadPluginModule(pluginProvider, options);
             } catch (err) {
-                console.error(`Unable to load plugin module ${pluginProvider}: ${pluginModulePath}, ${err}`);
+                console.error(`Unable to load plugin module ${pluginProvider}: ${err}`);
                 throw new PluginError('', `Unable to load plugin module ${pluginProvider}`);
             }
 
@@ -301,13 +302,23 @@ export class PluginRunner {
     }
 
     private getPluginModulePath(provider: string, options: Pick<PluginOptions, 'schemaPath'>) {
-        if (path.isAbsolute(provider) || provider.startsWith('.')) {
-            return resolvePath(provider, options);
-        }
         let pluginModulePath = provider;
-        if (pluginModulePath.startsWith('@core/')) {
-            pluginModulePath = pluginModulePath.replace(/^@core/, path.join(__dirname, '../plugins'));
+        if (provider.startsWith('@core/')) {
+            pluginModulePath = provider.replace(/^@core/, path.join(__dirname, '../plugins'));
+        } else {
+            try {
+                // direct require
+                require.resolve(pluginModulePath);
+            } catch {
+                // relative
+                pluginModulePath = resolvePath(provider, options);
+            }
         }
         return pluginModulePath;
     }
+
+    private loadPluginModule(provider: string, options: Pick<PluginOptions, 'schemaPath'>) {
+        const pluginModulePath = this.getPluginModulePath(provider, options);
+        return require(pluginModulePath);
+    }
 }