diff --git a/collects/scribble/base-render.ss b/collects/scribble/base-render.ss
index e9d41647..d6bab27d 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/base-render.ss
+++ b/collects/scribble/base-render.ss
@@ -64,12 +64,15 @@
           p))
 
     (define/public (root-relative->path p)
-      (if (and (pair? p)
-               (mobile-root? (car p)))
+      (if (root-relative? p)
           (apply build-path (mobile-root-path (car p))
                  (map bytes->path-element (cdr p)))
           p))
 
+    (define/public (root-relative? p)
+      (and (pair? p)
+           (mobile-root? (car p))))
+
     ;; ----------------------------------------
     ;; marshal info
 
diff --git a/collects/scribble/html-render.ss b/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
index 060a7f22..cd2dd883 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
+++ b/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@
     ;; ----------------------------------------
 
     (inherit path->root-relative
-             root-relative->path)
+             root-relative->path
+             root-relative?)
 
     (define (path->relative p)
       (let ([p (path->main-doc-relative p)])
@@ -261,14 +262,16 @@
           (intern-taglet p))))
 
     (define (relative->path p)
-      (let ([p (main-doc-relative->path p)])
-        (if (path? p)
-          p
-          (let ([p (main-collects-relative->path p)])
+      (if (root-relative? p)
+          (root-relative->path p)
+          (let ([p (if (or (not (pair? p))
+                           (eq? (car p) 'doc))
+                       (main-doc-relative->path p)
+                       p)])
             (if (path? p)
-              p
-              (root-relative->path p))))))
-
+                p
+                (main-collects-relative->path p)))))
+    
     ;; ----------------------------------------
 
     (define/override (start-collect ds fns ci)