diff --git a/include/verilated_vpi.cpp b/include/verilated_vpi.cpp
index a244b9e48..a08dea624 100644
--- a/include/verilated_vpi.cpp
+++ b/include/verilated_vpi.cpp
@@ -2059,7 +2059,10 @@ vpiHandle vpi_handle_by_name(PLI_BYTE8* namep, vpiHandle scope) {
     const VerilatedScope* scopep;
     const VerilatedVpioScope* const voScopep = VerilatedVpioScope::castp(scope);
     std::string scopeAndName = namep;
-    if (voScopep) {
+    if (0 == std::strncmp(namep, "$root.", std::strlen("$root."))) {
+        namep += std::strlen("$root.");
+        scopeAndName = namep;
+    } else if (voScopep) {
         const bool scopeIsPackage = VerilatedVpioPackage::castp(scope) != nullptr;
         scopeAndName = std::string{voScopep->fullname()} + (scopeIsPackage ? "" : ".") + namep;
         namep = const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>(scopeAndName.c_str());
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_vpi_package.cpp b/test_regress/t/t_vpi_package.cpp
index c2ba1eb52..c36b28f1e 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_vpi_package.cpp
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_vpi_package.cpp
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ int mon_check() {
 
     CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("someOtherInt"), tHandle))
     CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("t.someOtherInt"), NULL))
+    CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("$root.t.someOtherInt"), NULL))
     CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("someString"), tHandle))
     CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("t.someString"), NULL))
     CHECK_RESULT_Z(check_handle(const_cast<PLI_BYTE8*>("someInt"), pkgHandle))