diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index d3045bf..6ebb5f3 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 var utils = require('./utils');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
 
 var scopedModuleRegex = new RegExp(
     '@[a-zA-Z0-9][\\w-.]+/[a-zA-Z0-9][\\w-.]+([a-zA-Z0-9./]+)?',
@@ -68,11 +70,25 @@ module.exports = function nodeExternals(options) {
             request = arg1.request;
             callback = arg2;
         }
+
+        var res = request;
+        try {
+          res = utils.resolveRequest(request, `${context}/`)
+        } catch (err) {
+          res = request
+        }
+
         var moduleName = getModuleName(request, includeAbsolutePaths);
+
+        // use res incase modules main does not resolve to js.
+        // e.g. reset-css resolves to reset-css/reset.css
+        // makes /\.css$/ work in this case
+        // then use request to make 'a-module' work
         if (
             utils.contains(nodeModules, moduleName) &&
+            !utils.containsPattern(allowlist, res) &&
             !utils.containsPattern(allowlist, request)
-        ) {
+        ) { // externalize module
             if (typeof importType === 'function') {
                 return callback(null, importType(request));
             }
@@ -80,6 +96,6 @@ module.exports = function nodeExternals(options) {
             // https://webpack.js.org/configuration/externals/
             return callback(null, importType + ' ' + request);
         }
-        callback();
+        callback();; // bundle module
     };
 };
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index e0c236e..bb1a06e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -878,6 +878,11 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-F0uSaHNVNP+8es5r9TpanhtcX18=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "path-parse": {
+      "version": "1.0.6",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-parse/-/path-parse-1.0.6.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-GSmOT2EbHrINBf9SR7CDELwlJ8AENk3Qn7OikK4nFYAu3Ote2+JYNVvkpAEQm3/TLNEJFD/xZJjzyxg3KBWOzw=="
+    },
     "pbkdf2-compat": {
       "version": "2.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pbkdf2-compat/-/pbkdf2-compat-2.0.1.tgz",
@@ -1032,6 +1037,14 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-jcrkcOHIirwtYA//Sndihtp15jc=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "resolve": {
+      "version": "1.17.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/resolve/-/resolve-1.17.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ic+7JYiV8Vi2yzQGFWOkiZD5Z9z7O2Zhm9XMaTxdJExKasieFCr+yXZ/WmXsckHiKl12ar0y6XiXDx3m4RHn1w==",
+      "requires": {
+        "path-parse": "^1.0.6"
+      }
+    },
     "right-align": {
       "version": "0.1.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/right-align/-/right-align-0.1.3.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2873c7f..b121b22 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/liady/webpack-node-externals.git"
   },
-  "dependencies": {},
+  "dependencies": {
+    "resolve": "1.17.0"
+  },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^3.5.0",
     "mocha": "^2.5.3",
diff --git a/utils.js b/utils.js
index b41723e..26fcbe6 100644
--- a/utils.js
+++ b/utils.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
+var resolve = require('resolve');
 
 exports.contains = function contains(arr, val) {
     return arr && arr.indexOf(val) !== -1;
@@ -143,3 +144,11 @@ exports.error = function (errors) {
             .join('\r\n')
     );
 };
+
+exports.resolveRequest= function (req, issuer) {
+  var basedir =
+    issuer.endsWith(path.posix.sep) || issuer.endsWith(path.win32.sep)
+      ? issuer
+      : path.dirname(issuer);
+  return resolve.sync(req, { basedir: basedir });
+};