diff --git a/locust/main.py b/locust/main.py
index a95374fc99..0069f5f010 100644
--- a/locust/main.py
+++ b/locust/main.py
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ def parse_options():
     parser.add_option(
         '-n', '--num-request',
         action='store',
+        
         type='int',
         dest='num_requests',
         default=None,
@@ -281,16 +282,18 @@ def find_locustfile(locustfile):
                     return os.path.abspath(expanded)
     else:
         # Otherwise, start in cwd and work downwards towards filesystem root
-        path = '.'
-        # Stop before falling off root of filesystem (should be platform
-        # agnostic)
-        while os.path.split(os.path.abspath(path))[1]:
+        path = os.path.abspath('.')
+        while True:
             for name in names:
                 joined = os.path.join(path, name)
                 if os.path.exists(joined):
                     if name.endswith('.py') or _is_package(joined):
                         return os.path.abspath(joined)
-            path = os.path.join('..', path)
+            parent_path = os.path.dirname(path)
+            if parent_path == path:
+                # we've reached the root path which has been checked this iteration
+                break
+            path = parent_path
     # Implicit 'return None' if nothing was found