diff --git a/reframe/utility/__init__.py b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
index 1e3dccf3b9..470a98b13c 100644
--- a/reframe/utility/__init__.py
+++ b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import reframe
 
 from collections import UserDict
+from hashlib import sha256
 from . import typecheck as typ
 
 
@@ -87,7 +88,12 @@ def import_module_from_file(filename, force=False):
     module_name = _get_module_name(rel_filename)
     if rel_filename.startswith('..'):
         # We cannot use the standard Python import mechanism here, because the
-        # module to import is outside the top-level package
+        # module to import is outside the top-level package. We also mangle
+        # the name that we assign to the module, in order to avoid clashes
+        # with other modules loaded with a standard `import` or with multiple
+        # test files with the same name that reside in different directories.
+        module_hash = sha256(filename.encode('utf-8')).hexdigest()[:8]
+        module_name = f'{module_name}@{module_hash}'
         return _do_import_module_from_file(filename, module_name)
 
     # Extract module name if `filename` is under `site-packages/` or the
diff --git a/unittests/test_loader.py b/unittests/test_loader.py
index 8a182421f0..e85c9b5482 100644
--- a/unittests/test_loader.py
+++ b/unittests/test_loader.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import os
 import pytest
+import shutil
 
 import reframe as rfm
 from reframe.core.exceptions import ReframeSyntaxError
@@ -24,6 +25,21 @@ def loader_with_path():
     )
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def loader_with_path_tmpdir(tmp_path):
+    test_dir_a = tmp_path / 'a'
+    test_dir_b = tmp_path / 'b'
+    os.mkdir(test_dir_a)
+    os.mkdir(test_dir_b)
+    test_a = 'unittests/resources/checks/emptycheck.py'
+    test_b = 'unittests/resources/checks/hellocheck.py'
+    shutil.copyfile(test_a, test_dir_a / 'test.py')
+    shutil.copyfile(test_b, test_dir_b / 'test.py')
+    return RegressionCheckLoader(
+        [test_dir_a.as_posix(), test_dir_b.as_posix()]
+    )
+
+
 def test_load_file_relative(loader):
     checks = loader.load_from_file('unittests/resources/checks/emptycheck.py')
     assert 1 == len(checks)
@@ -73,6 +89,19 @@ def test_load_fixtures(loader):
     assert 5 == len(tests)
 
 
+def test_existing_module_name(loader, tmp_path):
+    test_file = tmp_path / 'os.py'
+    shutil.copyfile('unittests/resources/checks/emptycheck.py', test_file)
+    checks = loader.load_from_file(test_file)
+    assert 1 == len(checks)
+    assert checks[0].name == 'EmptyTest'
+
+
+def test_same_filename_different_path(loader_with_path_tmpdir):
+    checks = loader_with_path_tmpdir.load_all()
+    assert 3 == len(checks)
+
+
 def test_special_test():
     with pytest.raises(ReframeSyntaxError):
         @rfm.simple_test
diff --git a/unittests/test_utility.py b/unittests/test_utility.py
index 3b09a4e392..6e6ebff202 100644
--- a/unittests/test_utility.py
+++ b/unittests/test_utility.py
@@ -479,13 +479,15 @@ def test_import_from_file_load_abspath():
     assert module is sys.modules.get('reframe')
 
 
-def test_import_from_file_load_unknown_path():
-    try:
-        util.import_module_from_file('/foo')
-        pytest.fail()
-    except ImportError as e:
-        assert 'foo' == e.name
-        assert '/foo' == e.path
+def test_import_from_file_existing_module_name(tmp_path):
+    test_file = tmp_path / 'os.py'
+    with open(test_file, 'w') as fp:
+        print('var = 1', file=fp)
+
+    module = util.import_module_from_file(test_file)
+    assert module.var == 1
+    assert not hasattr(module, 'path')
+    assert hasattr(os, 'path')
 
 
 def test_import_from_file_load_directory_relative():
@@ -510,17 +512,6 @@ def test_import_from_file_load_relative():
         assert module is sys.modules.get('reframe.utility.osext')
 
 
-def test_import_from_file_load_outside_pkg():
-    module = util.import_module_from_file(os.path.__file__)
-
-    # os imports the OS-specific path libraries under the name `path`. Our
-    # importer will import the actual file, thus the module name should be
-    # the real one.
-    assert (module is sys.modules.get('posixpath') or
-            module is sys.modules.get('ntpath') or
-            module is sys.modules.get('macpath'))
-
-
 def test_import_from_file_load_twice():
     filename = os.path.abspath('reframe')
     module1 = util.import_module_from_file(filename)