diff --git a/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/backends/base.py b/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/backends/base.py
index 20cc25e136..e95f995196 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/backends/base.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/backends/base.py
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ class BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend(object):
     configuration of microsite on filesystem.
     """
 
-    def get_template_path(self, relative_path, **kwargs):
+    def get_template_path(self, template_path, **kwargs):
         """
         Returns a path (string) to a Mako template, which can either be in
         an override or will just return what is passed in which is expected to be a string
@@ -312,7 +312,6 @@ class BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend(object):
         from microsite_configuration.microsite import get_value as microsite_get_value
 
         microsite_template_path = microsite_get_value('template_dir', None)
-
         if not microsite_template_path:
             microsite_template_path = '/'.join([
                 settings.MICROSITE_ROOT_DIR,
@@ -320,6 +319,7 @@ class BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend(object):
                 'templates',
             ])
 
+        relative_path = template_path[1:] if template_path.startswith('/') else template_path
         search_path = os.path.join(microsite_template_path, relative_path)
         if os.path.isfile(search_path):
             path = '/{0}/templates/{1}'.format(
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ class BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend(object):
             )
             return path
         else:
-            return relative_path
+            return template_path
 
     def get_template(self, uri):
         """
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/tests/backends/test_filebased.py b/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/tests/backends/test_filebased.py
index 99a103d42c..3d219ae209 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/tests/backends/test_filebased.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/microsite_configuration/tests/backends/test_filebased.py
@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
 """
 Test Microsite filebased backends.
 """
+import unittest
 from mock import patch
 
 from django.test import TestCase
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 
 from microsite_configuration.backends.base import (
     BaseMicrositeBackend,
+    BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend,
 )
 from microsite_configuration import microsite
+from student.tests.factories import CourseEnrollmentFactory, UserFactory
+from xmodule.modulestore.tests.factories import CourseFactory
+from xmodule.modulestore.tests.django_utils import ModuleStoreTestCase
 
 
 @patch(
@@ -114,3 +121,40 @@ class FilebasedMicrositeBackendTests(TestCase):
         # if microsite config does not exist default config should be used
         microsite.set_by_domain('unknown')
         self.assertEqual(microsite.get_value('university'), 'default_university')
+
+
+@patch(
+    'microsite_configuration.microsite.TEMPLATES_BACKEND',
+    microsite.get_backend(
+        'microsite_configuration.backends.filebased.FilebasedMicrositeTemplateBackend', BaseMicrositeTemplateBackend
+    )
+)
+@unittest.skipUnless(settings.ROOT_URLCONF == 'lms.urls', 'Test only valid in lms')
+class FilebasedMicrositeTemplateBackendTests(ModuleStoreTestCase):
+    """
+    Go through and test the FilebasedMicrositeTemplateBackend class
+    """
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(FilebasedMicrositeTemplateBackendTests, self).setUp()
+        self.microsite_subdomain = 'testmicrosite'
+        self.course = CourseFactory.create()
+        self.user = UserFactory.create(username="Bob", email="bob@example.com", password="edx")
+        self.client.login(username=self.user.username, password="edx")
+
+    def test_get_template_path(self):
+        """
+        Tests get template path works for both relative and absolute paths.
+        """
+        microsite.set_by_domain(self.microsite_subdomain)
+        CourseEnrollmentFactory(
+            course_id=self.course.id,
+            user=self.user
+        )
+
+        response = self.client.get(
+            reverse('syllabus', args=[unicode(self.course.id)]),
+            HTTP_HOST=settings.MICROSITE_TEST_HOSTNAME,
+        )
+
+        self.assertContains(response, "Microsite relative path template contents")
+        self.assertContains(response, "Microsite absolute path template contents")
diff --git a/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/syllabus.html b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/syllabus.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..284f5e8a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/syllabus.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+## mako
+<%namespace name='static' file='/static_content.html'/>
+<%include file="${static.get_template_path('courseware/test_relative_path.html')}" />
+<%include file="${static.get_template_path('/courseware/test_absolute_path.html')}" />
+
diff --git a/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_absolute_path.html b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_absolute_path.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..710c751e79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_absolute_path.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## mako
+<%namespace name='static' file='/static_content.html'/>
+<div>Microsite absolute path template contents</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_relative_path.html b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_relative_path.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d010ef3f97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/test_microsites/test_microsite/templates/courseware/test_relative_path.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## mako
+<%namespace name='static' file='/static_content.html'/>
+<div>Microsite relative path template contents</div>
\ No newline at end of file