diff --git a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/internal/validation/ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings.kt b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/internal/validation/ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings.kt
index 0f2c01b7b1..3ca82fb6a1 100644
--- a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/internal/validation/ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings.kt
+++ b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/internal/validation/ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 package org.jetbrains.compose.desktop.application.internal.validation
 
+import org.gradle.api.Project
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Provider
 import org.jetbrains.compose.desktop.application.dsl.MacOSSigningSettings
 import org.jetbrains.compose.desktop.application.internal.ComposeProperties
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ internal data class ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings(
 }
 
 internal fun MacOSSigningSettings.validate(
-    bundleIDProvider: Provider<String?>
+    bundleIDProvider: Provider<String?>,
+    project: Project
 ): ValidatedMacOSSigningSettings {
     check(currentOS == OS.MacOS) { ERR_WRONG_OS }
 
@@ -41,10 +43,13 @@ internal fun MacOSSigningSettings.validate(
         ?: error(ERR_UNKNOWN_PREFIX)
     val signIdentity = this.identity.orNull
         ?: error(ERR_UNKNOWN_SIGN_ID)
-    val keychainFile = this.keychain.orNull?.let { File(it) }
-    if (keychainFile != null) {
-        check(keychainFile.exists()) {
-            "$ERR_PREFIX keychain is not an existing file: ${keychainFile.absolutePath}"
+    val keychainPath = this.keychain.orNull
+    val keychainFile =
+        listOf(project.file(keychainPath), project.rootProject.file(keychainPath))
+            .firstOrNull { it.exists() }
+    if (keychainPath != null) {
+        check(keychainFile != null && keychainFile.exists()) {
+            "$ERR_PREFIX could not find the specified keychain: $keychainPath"
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/tasks/AbstractJPackageTask.kt b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/tasks/AbstractJPackageTask.kt
index 5be642a196..55c9584ca8 100644
--- a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/tasks/AbstractJPackageTask.kt
+++ b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/compose/desktop/application/tasks/AbstractJPackageTask.kt
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ abstract class AbstractJPackageTask @Inject constructor(
     private val macSigner: MacSigner? by lazy {
         val nonValidatedSettings = nonValidatedMacSigningSettings
         if (currentOS == OS.MacOS && nonValidatedSettings?.sign?.get() == true) {
-            val validatedSettings = nonValidatedSettings.validate(nonValidatedMacBundleID)
+            val validatedSettings =
+                nonValidatedSettings.validate(nonValidatedMacBundleID, project)
             MacSigner(validatedSettings, runExternalTool)
         } else null
     }
diff --git a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/test/test-projects/application/macSign/build.gradle b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/test/test-projects/application/macSign/build.gradle
index 2e13dd5860..92fce3f186 100644
--- a/gradle-plugins/compose/src/test/test-projects/application/macSign/build.gradle
+++ b/gradle-plugins/compose/src/test/test-projects/application/macSign/build.gradle
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ compose.desktop {
                 signing {
                     sign.set(true)
                     identity.set("Compose Test")
-                    keychain.set(project.file("compose.test.keychain").absolutePath)
+                    keychain.set("compose.test.keychain")
                 }
             }
         }