diff --git a/toonz/sources/common/timage_io/tlevel_io.cpp b/toonz/sources/common/timage_io/tlevel_io.cpp
index 3a6e379f..866fa831 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/common/timage_io/tlevel_io.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/common/timage_io/tlevel_io.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ TLevelReader::TLevelReader(const TFilePath &path)
     , m_info(0)
     , m_path(path)
     , m_contentHistory(0)
-    , m_frameFormat(TFrameId::FOUR_ZEROS) {}
+    , m_frameFormat(TFrameId::FOUR_ZEROS)
+    , m_useExactPath(false) {}
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -102,6 +103,9 @@ const TImageInfo *TLevelReader::getImageInfo() {
 TLevelP TLevelReader::loadInfo() {
   TFilePath parentDir = m_path.getParentDir();
   TFilePath levelName(m_path.getLevelName());
+  // For scene loading, use what was stored in the file instead
+  // of auto converting to a level name.
+  if (useExactPath()) levelName = m_path.withoutParentDir();
   //  cout << "Parent dir = '" << parentDir << "'" << endl;
   //  cout << "Level name = '" << levelName << "'" << endl;
   TFilePathSet files;
@@ -115,9 +119,13 @@ TLevelP TLevelReader::loadInfo() {
   for (TFilePathSet::iterator it = files.begin(); it != files.end(); it++) {
     TFilePath ln(it->getLevelName());
     // cout << "try " << *it << "  " << it->getLevelName() <<  endl;
-    if (levelName == TFilePath(it->getLevelName())) {
+    if (levelName == TFilePath(it->getLevelName()) ||
+        levelName == it->withoutParentDir()) {
       try {
-        level->setFrame(it->getFrame(), TImageP());
+        if (levelName == it->withoutParentDir())
+          level->setFrame(TFrameId::NO_FRAME, TImageP());
+        else
+          level->setFrame(it->getFrame(), TImageP());
         data.push_back(*it);
       } catch (TMalformedFrameException tmfe) {
         // skip frame named incorrectly warning to the user in the message
@@ -163,6 +171,7 @@ TLevelP TLevelReader::loadInfo() {
 //-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 TImageReaderP TLevelReader::getFrameReader(TFrameId fid) {
+  if (fid.isNoFrame()) return m_path;
   return TImageReaderP(m_path.withFrame(fid, m_frameFormat));
 }
 
diff --git a/toonz/sources/include/tlevel_io.h b/toonz/sources/include/tlevel_io.h
index f5bd0ea7..51bde9e2 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/include/tlevel_io.h
+++ b/toonz/sources/include/tlevel_io.h
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ protected:
   TFilePath m_path;
   TContentHistory *m_contentHistory;
 
+  bool m_useExactPath;
+
 public:
   TLevelReader(const TFilePath &path);
   virtual ~TLevelReader();
@@ -95,6 +97,9 @@ public:
   //! TLevelReader keeps the ownership of TContentHistory. Don't delete it
   const TContentHistory *getContentHistory() const { return m_contentHistory; }
 
+  void setUseExactPath(bool useExactPath) { m_useExactPath = useExactPath; }
+  bool useExactPath() { return m_useExactPath; }
+
 private:
   TFrameId::FrameFormat m_frameFormat;
 };
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
index c5f6d72c..9f92bec7 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
@@ -1220,6 +1220,8 @@ void TXshSimpleLevel::load() {
     TLevelReaderP lr(path);  // May throw
     assert(lr);
 
+    lr->setUseExactPath(getScene()->isLoading());
+
     TLevelP level = lr->loadInfo();
     if (level->getFrameCount() > 0) {
       const TImageInfo *info = lr->getImageInfo(level->begin()->first);