diff --git a/lib/consolidate.js b/lib/consolidate.js
index 8a06431..cbe80ff 100644
--- a/lib/consolidate.js
+++ b/lib/consolidate.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var join = path.join;
 var resolve = path.resolve;
 var extname = path.extname;
 var dirname = path.dirname;
+var isAbsolute = path.isAbsolute;
 
 var readCache = {};
 
@@ -118,7 +119,19 @@ function readPartials(path, options, fn) {
   function next(index) {
     if (index === keys.length) return fn(null);
     var key = keys[index];
-    var file = join(dirname(path), partials[key] + extname(path));
+    var partialPath = partials[key];
+    
+    var file;
+    if (isAbsolute(partialPath)) {
+      if (extname(partialPath) !== '') {
+        file = partialPath;
+      } else {
+        file = join(partialPath + extname(path));
+      }      
+    } else {
+      file = join(dirname(path), partialPath + extname(path));
+    }
+
     read(file, options, function(err, str){
       if (err) return fn(err);
       options.partials[key] = str;
diff --git a/test/shared/partials.js b/test/shared/partials.js
index febd9aa..5982b6c 100644
--- a/test/shared/partials.js
+++ b/test/shared/partials.js
@@ -23,6 +23,24 @@ exports.test = function(name) {
           done();
         });
       });
+      it('should support absolute path partial', function(done){
+        var path = 'test/fixtures/' + name + '/partials.' + name;
+        var locals = {user: user, partials: {partial: __dirname + '/../../test/fixtures/' + name + '/user' }};
+        cons[name](path, locals, function(err, html){
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          html.should.equal('<p>Tobi</p>');
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+      it('should support relative path partial', function(done){
+        var path = 'test/fixtures/' + name + '/partials.' + name;
+        var locals = {user: user, partials: {partial: '../' + name + '/user' }};
+        cons[name](path, locals, function(err, html){
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          html.should.equal('<p>Tobi</p>');
+          done();
+        });
+      });
     }
     else {
       it('should support rendering a partial', function(done){