diff --git a/src/Build.UnitTests/Evaluation/Evaluator_Tests.cs b/src/Build.UnitTests/Evaluation/Evaluator_Tests.cs
index 4f9b2b14f92..117da04ce76 100644
--- a/src/Build.UnitTests/Evaluation/Evaluator_Tests.cs
+++ b/src/Build.UnitTests/Evaluation/Evaluator_Tests.cs
@@ -96,6 +96,41 @@ public void VerifyLoadingImportScenarios(string importParameter, bool shouldSucc
             }
         }
 
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("(test")]
+        [InlineData("@@@test")]
+        [InlineData(@")(!!test")]
+        public void VerifyItemsUpdateIsHandledForAnyProjectPath(string projectPathCandidate)
+        {
+            using (TestEnvironment env = TestEnvironment.Create())
+            {
+                TransientTestFolder projDirectory = env.CreateFolder(Path.Combine(env.CreateNewTempPath().TempPath, projectPathCandidate), createFolder: true);
+                TransientTestFile projectFile = env.CreateFile(projDirectory, "project.proj", @"
+<Project>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <ItemCheck Include=""Test"" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+     <ItemCheck Update=""Test""
+             NewTestLabels=""Dummy"" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+ <Target Name=""MyTarget"">
+    <Message Text=""ItemCheck updated metadata value: @(ItemCheck->Metadata('NewTestLabels'))"" />
+  </Target>
+</Project>
+");
+                Project project = new(projectFile.Path);
+                MockLogger logger = new();
+                var result = project.Build(logger);
+
+                result.ShouldBeTrue();
+                project.AllEvaluatedItems.Where(ei => ei.ItemType == "ItemCheck" && ei.Metadata.Any(m => m.EvaluatedValue == "Dummy")).ShouldNotBeEmpty();
+            }
+        }
+
         // Some of these are also tested elsewhere, but this consolidates related tests in one spot.
         public static IEnumerable<object[]> ImportLoadingScenarioTestData
         {
diff --git a/src/Build/Evaluation/LazyItemEvaluator.cs b/src/Build/Evaluation/LazyItemEvaluator.cs
index 16e9586a71b..d56d20dddde 100644
--- a/src/Build/Evaluation/LazyItemEvaluator.cs
+++ b/src/Build/Evaluation/LazyItemEvaluator.cs
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ private static OrderedItemDataCollection.Builder ComputeItems(LazyItemList lazyI
                                 break;
                             }
 
-                            string fullPath = FileUtilities.GetFullPath(frag.TextFragment, frag.ProjectDirectory);
+                            string fullPath = FileUtilities.NormalizePathForComparisonNoThrow(frag.TextFragment, frag.ProjectDirectory);
                             if (itemsWithNoWildcards.ContainsKey(fullPath))
                             {
                                 // Another update will already happen on this path. Make that happen before evaluating this one.