diff --git a/devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing/bulk-dashboards.yaml b/devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing/bulk-dashboards.yaml
index 7838e4bc342..e0ba8a88e68 100644
--- a/devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing/bulk-dashboards.yaml
+++ b/devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing/bulk-dashboards.yaml
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ providers:
    folder: 'Bulk dashboards'
    type: file
    options:
-     path: /home/carl/go/src/github.com/grafana/grafana/devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing
+     path: devenv/dashboards/bulk-testing
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
index e5186e12f06..93846f5c474 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
@@ -47,9 +47,15 @@ func NewDashboardFileReader(cfg *DashboardsAsConfig, log log.Logger) (*fileReade
 		log.Error("Cannot read directory", "error", err)
 	}
 
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("Could not create absolute path ", "path", path)
+		absPath = path //if .Abs return an error we fallback to path
+	}
+
 	return &fileReader{
 		Cfg:              cfg,
-		Path:             path,
+		Path:             absPath,
 		log:              log,
 		dashboardService: dashboards.NewProvisioningService(),
 	}, nil
diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader_test.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader_test.go
index 084fae1310a..a04fbb23f82 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader_test.go
@@ -15,14 +15,57 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	defaultDashboards = "./testdata/test-dashboards/folder-one"
-	brokenDashboards  = "./testdata/test-dashboards/broken-dashboards"
-	oneDashboard      = "./testdata/test-dashboards/one-dashboard"
-	containingId      = "./testdata/test-dashboards/containing-id"
+	defaultDashboards = "testdata/test-dashboards/folder-one"
+	brokenDashboards  = "testdata/test-dashboards/broken-dashboards"
+	oneDashboard      = "testdata/test-dashboards/one-dashboard"
+	containingId      = "testdata/test-dashboards/containing-id"
 
 	fakeService *fakeDashboardProvisioningService
 )
 
+func TestCreatingNewDashboardFileReader(t *testing.T) {
+	Convey("creating new dashboard file reader", t, func() {
+		cfg := &DashboardsAsConfig{
+			Name:    "Default",
+			Type:    "file",
+			OrgId:   1,
+			Folder:  "",
+			Options: map[string]interface{}{},
+		}
+
+		Convey("using path parameter", func() {
+			cfg.Options["path"] = defaultDashboards
+			reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+			So(reader.Path, ShouldNotEqual, "")
+		})
+
+		Convey("using folder as options", func() {
+			cfg.Options["folder"] = defaultDashboards
+			reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+			So(reader.Path, ShouldNotEqual, "")
+		})
+
+		Convey("using full path", func() {
+			cfg.Options["folder"] = "/var/lib/grafana/dashboards"
+			reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+
+			So(reader.Path, ShouldEqual, "/var/lib/grafana/dashboards")
+			So(filepath.IsAbs(reader.Path), ShouldBeTrue)
+		})
+
+		Convey("using relative path", func() {
+			cfg.Options["folder"] = defaultDashboards
+			reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+
+			So(filepath.IsAbs(reader.Path), ShouldBeTrue)
+		})
+	})
+}
+
 func TestDashboardFileReader(t *testing.T) {
 	Convey("Dashboard file reader", t, func() {
 		bus.ClearBusHandlers()
@@ -170,30 +213,6 @@ func TestDashboardFileReader(t *testing.T) {
 			})
 		})
 
-		Convey("Can use bpth path and folder as dashboard path", func() {
-			cfg := &DashboardsAsConfig{
-				Name:    "Default",
-				Type:    "file",
-				OrgId:   1,
-				Folder:  "",
-				Options: map[string]interface{}{},
-			}
-
-			Convey("using path parameter", func() {
-				cfg.Options["path"] = defaultDashboards
-				reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
-				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
-				So(reader.Path, ShouldEqual, defaultDashboards)
-			})
-
-			Convey("using folder as options", func() {
-				cfg.Options["folder"] = defaultDashboards
-				reader, err := NewDashboardFileReader(cfg, log.New("test-logger"))
-				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
-				So(reader.Path, ShouldEqual, defaultDashboards)
-			})
-		})
-
 		Reset(func() {
 			dashboards.NewProvisioningService = origNewDashboardProvisioningService
 		})