diff --git a/document.go b/document.go
index 92c1cca..40e8953 100644
--- a/document.go
+++ b/document.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (this *Document) Execute (output io.Writer, data ExecutionData) error {
 	if err != nil { return err }
 
 	// execute parent with this document's result
-	parent, err := this.environment.Parse(this.Extends)
+	parent, err := this.environment.ParseRelative(this.Extends, this)
 	if err != nil { return err }
 	return parent.Execute(output, ExecutionData {
 		Data:  data.Data,
diff --git a/environment.go b/environment.go
index baaac34..cd7b0e6 100644
--- a/environment.go
+++ b/environment.go
@@ -52,19 +52,15 @@ func (this *Environment) Parse (name string) (*Document, error) {
 // ParseRelative is like Parse, but treats the name as a path relative to the
 // given document.
 func (this *Environment) ParseRelative (name string, document *Document) (*Document, error) {
-	var fileName string
 	if document == nil {
-		fileName = filepath.Clean(name)
+		name = filepath.Clean(name)
 	} else {
-		nam, err := document.Abs(name)
-		if err != nil { return nil, err }
-		fileName = nam
-		nam, err = document.Rel(name)
+		nam, err := document.Rel(name)
 		if err != nil { return nil, err }
 		name = nam
 	}
 	
-	input, err := this.GetFS().Open(fileName)
+	input, err := this.GetFS().Open(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		// if the file couldn't be opened, delete from cache in case the 
 		// file was deleted