diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1d9339ca..ecc69612 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,27 @@ module.exports = {
 };
 ```
 
+### 'Root-relative' urls
+
+For urls that start with a `/`, the default behavior is to not translate them:
+* `url(/image.png)` => `url(/image.png)`
+
+If a `root` query parameter is set, however, it will be prepended to the url
+and then translated:
+
+With a config like:
+
+``` javascript
+    loaders: [
+      { test: /\.css/, loader: "style-loader!css-loader?root=." },
+      ...
+    ]
+```
+
+The result is:
+
+* `url(/image.png)` => `require("./image.png")`
+
 ## License
 
 MIT (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a7335876..2ef49c93 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ var loaderUtils = require("loader-utils");
 module.exports = function(content) {
 	this.cacheable && this.cacheable();
 	var result = [];
+	var query = loaderUtils.parseQuery(this.query);
+	var root = query.root;
+	if(root !== undefined && root !== false && typeof root !== "string")
+		throw new Error("Invalid value to query parameter root");
 	var tree = csso.parse(content, "stylesheet");
 	if(tree && this && this.minimize) {
 		tree = csso.compress(tree);
@@ -38,18 +42,19 @@ module.exports = function(content) {
 	css = css.replace(uriRegExp, function(str) {
 		var match = /^%CSSURL\[%(.*?)%\]CSSURL%$/.exec(str);
 		if(/^data:|^(https?:)?\/\//.test(match[1])) return match[1];
+		if((root === undefined || root === false) && /^\//.test(match[1])) return match[1];
 		var idx = match[1].indexOf("?");
 		if(idx < 0) idx = match[1].indexOf("#");
 		if(idx > 0) {
 			// in cases like url('webfont.eot?#iefix')
 			var url = JSON.parse("\"" + match[1].substr(0, idx) + "\"");
-			return "\"+require(" + JSON.stringify(urlToRequire(url)) + ")+\"" + match[1].substr(idx);
+			return "\"+require(" + JSON.stringify(urlToRequire(url, root)) + ")+\"" + match[1].substr(idx);
 		} else if(idx === 0) {
 			// only hash
 			return match[1];
 		}
 		var url = JSON.parse("\"" + match[1] + "\"");
-		return "\"+require(" + JSON.stringify(urlToRequire(url)) + ")+\"";
+		return "\"+require(" + JSON.stringify(urlToRequire(url, root)) + ")+\"";
 	});
 	result.push(css);
 	var cssRequest = loaderUtils.getRemainingRequest(this);
@@ -63,9 +68,11 @@ module.exports = function(content) {
 	this.callback(null, stringWithMap.code, stringWithMap.map.toJSON());
 }
 
-function urlToRequire(url) {
+function urlToRequire(url, root) {
 	if(/^~/.test(url))
 		return url.substring(1);
+	else if(root !== undefined && /^\//.test(url))
+		return root.replace(/\/$/, '')+'/'+url.replace(/^\//, '');
 	else
 		return "./"+url;
 }
diff --git a/test/urlTest.js b/test/urlTest.js
index 7c77feb5..7c86baad 100644
--- a/test/urlTest.js
+++ b/test/urlTest.js
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ var should = require("should");
 var path = require("path");
 var cssLoader = require("../index.js");
 
-function test(name, input, result) {
+function test(name, input, result, query) {
 	it(name, function() {
 		var output;
 		cssLoader.call({
 			loaders: [{request: "loader"}],
 			loaderIndex: 0,
 			resource: "test.css",
+			query: query,
 			callback: function(err, result) {
 				output = result;
 			}
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ describe("url", function() {
 					["\".class { background: green url( \"+require(\"./img.png\")+\" ) xyz }\""]);
 	test("background img 2", ".class { background: green url(~img/png ) url(aaa) xyz }",
 					["\".class { background: green url(\"+require(\"img/png\")+\" ) url(\"+require(\"./aaa\")+\") xyz }\""]);
+	test("background img absolute", ".class { background: green url(/img.png) xyz }",
+					["\".class { background: green url(/img.png) xyz }\""]);
+	test("background img absolute with root", ".class { background: green url(/img.png) xyz }",
+					["\".class { background: green url(\"+require(\"./img.png\")+\") xyz }\""], "?root=.");
 	test("background img external",
 		".class { background: green url(data:image/png;base64,AAA) url(http://example.com/image.jpg) url(//example.com/image.png) xyz }",
 		["\".class { background: green url(data:image/png;base64,AAA) url(http://example.com/image.jpg) url(//example.com/image.png) xyz }\""]);