diff --git a/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model.go b/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model.go
index 4adf40e68..73a751555 100644
--- a/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model.go
+++ b/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model.go
@@ -628,6 +628,12 @@ func toFiles(s sbom.SBOM) (results []*spdx.File) {
 			comment = fmt.Sprintf("layerID: %s", coordinates.FileSystemID)
 		}
 
+		relativePath, err := convertAbsoluteToRelative(coordinates.RealPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("unable to convert relative path '%s' to absolute path: %s", coordinates.RealPath, err)
+			relativePath = coordinates.RealPath
+		}
+
 		results = append(results, &spdx.File{
 			FileSPDXIdentifier: toSPDXID(coordinates),
 			FileComment:        comment,
@@ -635,7 +641,7 @@ func toFiles(s sbom.SBOM) (results []*spdx.File) {
 			LicenseConcluded:  noAssertion,
 			FileCopyrightText: noAssertion,
 			Checksums:         toFileChecksums(digests),
-			FileName:          coordinates.RealPath,
+			FileName:          relativePath,
 			FileTypes:         toFileTypes(metadata),
 			LicenseInfoInFiles: []string{ // required in SPDX 2.2
 				helpers.NOASSERTION,
@@ -833,3 +839,22 @@ func trimPatchVersion(semver string) string {
 	}
 	return semver
 }
+
+// spdx requires that the file name field is a relative filename
+// with the root of the package archive or directory
+func convertAbsoluteToRelative(absPath string) (string, error) {
+	// Ensure the absolute path is absolute (although it should already be)
+	if !path.IsAbs(absPath) {
+		// already relative
+		log.Debugf("%s is already relative", absPath)
+		return absPath, nil
+	}
+
+	// we use "/" here given that we're converting absolute paths from root to relative
+	relPath, found := strings.CutPrefix(absPath, "/")
+	if !found {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error calculating relative path: %s", absPath)
+	}
+
+	return relPath, nil
+}
diff --git a/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model_test.go b/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model_test.go
index 36201bc85..315899b74 100644
--- a/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model_test.go
+++ b/syft/format/common/spdxhelpers/to_format_model_test.go
@@ -382,6 +382,51 @@ func Test_toPackageChecksums(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func Test_toFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   sbom.SBOM
+		want spdx.File
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "File paths are converted to relative in final SPDX collection",
+			in: sbom.SBOM{
+				Source: source.Description{
+					Name:    "alpine",
+					Version: "sha256:d34db33f",
+					Metadata: source.ImageMetadata{
+						UserInput:      "alpine:latest",
+						ManifestDigest: "sha256:d34db33f",
+					},
+				},
+				Artifacts: sbom.Artifacts{
+					Packages: pkg.NewCollection(pkg.Package{
+						Name:    "pkg-1",
+						Version: "version-1",
+					}),
+					FileMetadata: map[file.Coordinates]file.Metadata{
+						{
+							RealPath:     "/some/path",
+							FileSystemID: "",
+						}: {
+							Path: "/some/path",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: spdx.File{
+				FileName: "some/path",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		files := toFiles(test.in)
+		got := files[0]
+		assert.Equal(t, test.want.FileName, got.FileName)
+	}
+}
+
 func Test_toFileTypes(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tests := []struct {
diff --git a/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDX22JSONRequredProperties.golden b/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDX22JSONRequredProperties.golden
index 8614a8c6d..8587d7bc0 100644
--- a/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDX22JSONRequredProperties.golden
+++ b/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDX22JSONRequredProperties.golden
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
  ],
  "files": [
   {
-   "fileName": "/some/file",
+   "fileName": "some/file",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-some-file-2c5bc344430decac",
    "checksums": [
     {
diff --git a/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden b/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
index 138166baa..fd11fcc8b 100644
--- a/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
+++ b/syft/format/spdxjson/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
  ],
  "files": [
   {
-   "fileName": "/a1/f6",
+   "fileName": "a1/f6",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-a1-f6-9c2f7510199b17f6",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
    "copyrightText": "NOASSERTION"
   },
   {
-   "fileName": "/d1/f3",
+   "fileName": "d1/f3",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-d1-f3-c6f5b29dca12661f",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
    "copyrightText": "NOASSERTION"
   },
   {
-   "fileName": "/d2/f4",
+   "fileName": "d2/f4",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-d2-f4-c641caa71518099f",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
    "copyrightText": "NOASSERTION"
   },
   {
-   "fileName": "/f1",
+   "fileName": "f1",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-f1-5265a4dde3edbf7c",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
    "copyrightText": "NOASSERTION"
   },
   {
-   "fileName": "/f2",
+   "fileName": "f2",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-f2-f9e49132a4b96ccd",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@
    "copyrightText": "NOASSERTION"
   },
   {
-   "fileName": "/z1/f5",
+   "fileName": "z1/f5",
    "SPDXID": "SPDXRef-File-z1-f5-839d99ee67d9d174",
    "fileTypes": [
     "OTHER"
diff --git a/syft/format/spdxtagvalue/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden b/syft/format/spdxtagvalue/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
index ac7a8585d..b7940ae72 100644
--- a/syft/format/spdxtagvalue/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
+++ b/syft/format/spdxtagvalue/test-fixtures/snapshot/TestSPDXRelationshipOrder.golden
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Created: redacted
 
 ##### Unpackaged files
 
-FileName: /a1/f6
+FileName: a1/f6
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-a1-f6-9c2f7510199b17f6
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ LicenseConcluded: NOASSERTION
 LicenseInfoInFile: NOASSERTION
 FileCopyrightText: NOASSERTION
 
-FileName: /d1/f3
+FileName: d1/f3
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-d1-f3-c6f5b29dca12661f
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ LicenseConcluded: NOASSERTION
 LicenseInfoInFile: NOASSERTION
 FileCopyrightText: NOASSERTION
 
-FileName: /d2/f4
+FileName: d2/f4
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-d2-f4-c641caa71518099f
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ LicenseConcluded: NOASSERTION
 LicenseInfoInFile: NOASSERTION
 FileCopyrightText: NOASSERTION
 
-FileName: /f1
+FileName: f1
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-f1-5265a4dde3edbf7c
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ LicenseConcluded: NOASSERTION
 LicenseInfoInFile: NOASSERTION
 FileCopyrightText: NOASSERTION
 
-FileName: /f2
+FileName: f2
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-f2-f9e49132a4b96ccd
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ LicenseConcluded: NOASSERTION
 LicenseInfoInFile: NOASSERTION
 FileCopyrightText: NOASSERTION
 
-FileName: /z1/f5
+FileName: z1/f5
 SPDXID: SPDXRef-File-z1-f5-839d99ee67d9d174
 FileType: OTHER
 FileChecksum: SHA1: 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000