diff --git a/lisp/tramp.el b/lisp/tramp.el
index 0dbbfa59..a25b2715 100644
--- a/lisp/tramp.el
+++ b/lisp/tramp.el
 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
@@ -3361,10 +3361,12 @@ User is always nil."
       (let* ((v (tramp-dissect-file-name filename))
 	     (p (tramp-get-connection-process v))
 	     (c (and (process-live-p p)
-		     (tramp-get-connection-property p "connected" nil))))
-	;; We expand the file name only, if there is already a connection.
+		     (tramp-get-connection-property p "connected" nil)))
+	     (e (and c (not (eq identification 'localname)))))
+	;; We expand the file name only, if there is already a
+	;; connection, and IDENTIFICATION is not `localname'.
 	(with-parsed-tramp-file-name
-	    (if c (expand-file-name filename) filename) nil
+	    (if e (expand-file-name filename) filename) nil
 	  (and (or (not connected) c)
 	       (cond
 		((eq identification 'method) method)