diff --git a/collects/scribble/base-render.rkt b/collects/scribble/base-render.rkt
index c9b9f7cd..c7102207 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/base-render.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/base-render.rkt
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@
 
     (define/public (root-relative->path p)
       (if (root-relative? p)
-          (apply build-path (mobile-root-path (car p))
+          (apply build-path (or (mobile-root-path (car p))
+                                (current-directory))
                  (map bytes->path-element (cdr p)))
           p))
 
@@ -336,7 +337,13 @@
 
     (define/public (serialize-one-ht ri ht)
       (parameterize ([current-serialize-resolve-info ri])
-        (serialize (cons root ht))))
+        (let ([rp (mobile-root-path root)])
+          (when rp
+            (set-mobile-root-path! root #f))
+          (begin0
+           (serialize (cons root ht))
+           (when rp
+             (set-mobile-root-path! root rp))))))
 
     (define/public (deserialize-info v ci #:root [root-path #f])
       (let ([root+ht (deserialize v)]
diff --git a/collects/scribble/xref.rkt b/collects/scribble/xref.rkt
index 81c12381..75c1dfe9 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/xref.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/xref.rkt
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
          xref-tag->path+anchor
          xref-tag->index-entry
          xref-transfer-info
-         (struct-out entry))
+         (struct-out entry)
+         make-data+root
+         data+root?)
 
 (define-struct entry
   (words    ; list of strings: main term, sub-term, etc.
@@ -23,6 +25,8 @@
    tag      ; for generating a Scribble link
    desc))   ; further info that depends on the kind of index entry
 
+(define-struct data+root (data root))
+
 ;; Private:
 (define-struct xrefs (renderer ri))
 
@@ -44,7 +48,10 @@
                                         (namespace-anchor->empty-namespace here)])
                           (let ([vs (src)])
                             (for ([v (in-list (if (procedure? vs) (vs) (list vs)))])
-                              (when v (send renderer deserialize-info v ci #:root root-path))))))]
+                              (when v
+                                (define data (if (data+root? v) (data+root-data v) v))
+                                (define root (if (data+root? v) (data+root-root v) root-path))
+                                (send renderer deserialize-info data ci #:root root))))))]
          [ci (send renderer collect null null fp
                    (lambda (key ci)
                      (define src (demand-source key))
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/xref.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/xref.scrbl
index 9f7d0f08..3b0f99cc 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/xref.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/xref.scrbl
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Returns @racket[#t] if @racket[v] is a cross-reference record created
 by @racket[load-xref], @racket[#f] otherwise.}
 
 
-@defproc[(load-xref [sources (listof (-> any/c))]
+@defproc[(load-xref [sources (listof (-> (or/c any/c (-> list?))))]
                     [#:demand-source demand-source 
                                      (tag? -> (or/c (-> any/c) #f)) 
                                      (lambda (_tag) #f)]
@@ -28,10 +28,19 @@ by @racket[load-xref], @racket[#f] otherwise.}
                     [#:root root-path (or/c path-string? false/c) #f])
          xref?]{
 
-Creates a cross-reference record given a list of functions that each
-produce a serialized information obtained from @xmethod[render<%>
-serialize-info]. If a @racket[sources] element produces @racket[#f],
-its result is ignored.
+Creates a cross-reference record given a list of functions,
+@racket[sources]. 
+
+Let @racket[_source] be a function in @racket[sources]. The
+@racket[_source] function normally returns serialized information,
+@racket[_info], which was formerly obtained from @xmethod[render<%>
+serialize-info]. The result of @racket[_source] can optionally be
+another function, which is in turn responsible for returning a list of
+@racket[_info]s. Finally, each @racket[_info] can be either serialized
+information, a @racket[#f] to be ignored, or a value produced by
+@racket[make-data+root] from which @racket[_data] part is used as
+serialized information and the @racket[_root] part overrides
+@racket[root-path] for deserialization.
 
 The @racket[demand-source] function can effectively add a new source
 to @racket[sources] in response to a search for information on the
@@ -46,7 +55,10 @@ Latex/PDF and text).
 
 If @racket[root-path] is not @racket[#f], then file paths that are
 serialized as relative to an instantiation-supplied @racket[root-path]
-are deserialized as relative instead to the given @racket[root-path].
+are deserialized as relative instead to the given @racket[root-path],
+but a @racket[make-data+root] result for any @racket[_info] supplies
+an alternate path for deserialization of the @racket[_info]'s
+@racket[_data].
 
 Use @racket[load-collections-xref] from @racketmodname[setup/xref] to
 get all cross-reference information for installed documentation.}
@@ -191,3 +203,13 @@ The @racket[words] list corresponds to
 corresponds to @racket[index-element-entry-seq]. The @racket[desc]
 value corresponds to @racket[index-element-desc]. The @racket[tag] is
 the destination for the index link into the main document.}
+
+
+@deftogether[(
+@defproc[(data+root? [v any/c]) boolean?]
+@defproc[(make-data+root [data any/c] [root (or/c #f path-string?)]) data+root?]
+)]{
+
+A value constructed by @racket[make-data+root] can be returned by a
+source procedure for @racket[load-xref] to specify a path used for
+deserialization.}
diff --git a/collects/tests/pkg/test-pkgs/pkg-z/info.rkt b/collects/tests/pkg/test-pkgs/pkg-z/info.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13a63c48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/tests/pkg/test-pkgs/pkg-z/info.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#lang setup/infotab
+