diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d0ff30d50..bdb141f07 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ New features added
     the directive -- this allows you to define your document
     structure, but place the links yourself.
 
+  - Image paths can now be absolute (like ``/images/foo.png``).
+    They are treated as relative to the top source directory.
+
   - #52: There is now a ``hlist`` directive, creating a compact
     list by placing distributing items into multiple columns.
 
@@ -49,8 +52,8 @@ New features added
   - #23: Added a ``classmethod`` directive along with ``method``
     and ``staticmethod``.
 
-  - Added a ``toctree`` variable to the templates, and the ability to
-    include external links in toctrees.
+  - Added a ``toctree`` callable to the templates, and the ability
+    to include external links in toctrees.
 
 * Configuration:
 
diff --git a/sphinx/environment.py b/sphinx/environment.py
index 36009f80a..d49356d1e 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment.py
@@ -647,7 +647,11 @@ class BuildEnvironment:
                 candidates['?'] = imguri
                 continue
             # imgpath is the image path *from srcdir*
-            imgpath = path.normpath(path.join(docdir, imguri))
+            if imguri.startswith('/') or imguri.startswith(os.sep):
+                # absolute path (= relative to srcdir)
+                imgpath = path.normpath(imguri[1:])
+            else:
+                imgpath = path.normpath(path.join(docdir, imguri))
             # set imgpath as default URI
             node['uri'] = imgpath
             if imgpath.endswith(os.extsep + '*'):
diff --git a/tests/root/subdir/images.txt b/tests/root/subdir/images.txt
index 33adf5b56..f2adf88d3 100644
--- a/tests/root/subdir/images.txt
+++ b/tests/root/subdir/images.txt
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ Image including source in subdir
 ================================
 
 .. image:: img.*
+
+.. image:: /rimg.png
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index 9c8698c45..6e8c5c245 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ HTML_XPATH = {
     },
     'subdir/images.html': {
         ".//img[@src='../_images/img1.png']": '',
+        ".//img[@src='../_images/rimg.png']": '',
     },
     'includes.html': {
         ".//pre": u'Max Strauß',