diff --git a/AssemblyVersion.cs b/AssemblyVersion.cs
index 14e2b02..aa76643 100644
--- a/AssemblyVersion.cs
+++ b/AssemblyVersion.cs
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ using System.Reflection;
 //
 // You can specify all the values or you can default the Revision and Build Numbers 
 // by using the '*' as shown below:
-[assembly: AssemblyVersion("3.0.4.566")]
-[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("3.0.4.566")]
\ No newline at end of file
+[assembly: AssemblyVersion("3.0.4.567")]
+[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("3.0.4.567")]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Core/Settings.cs b/Core/Settings.cs
index 42757b5..b6d7a6b 100644
--- a/Core/Settings.cs
+++ b/Core/Settings.cs
@@ -156,7 +156,15 @@ namespace ScrewTurn.Wiki {
 		/// Gets the Public Directory of the Wiki.
 		/// </summary>
 		public static string PublicDirectory {
-			get { return RootDirectory + PublicDirectoryName + Path.DirectorySeparatorChar; }
+			get {
+				string pubDirName = PublicDirectoryName;
+				if(Path.IsPathRooted(pubDirName)) return pubDirName;
+				else {
+					string path = Path.Combine(RootDirectory, pubDirName);
+					if(!path.EndsWith(Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString())) path += Path.DirectorySeparatorChar;
+					return path;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
diff --git a/WebApplication/Web.Release.config b/WebApplication/Web.Release.config
index 681a4c2..59e7e8d 100644
--- a/WebApplication/Web.Release.config
+++ b/WebApplication/Web.Release.config
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 			WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE NAMES OF THE FOLLOWING KEYS: ONLY EDIT THEIR VALUES!
 		-->
 		<!-- Set this item with your "data" directory path, which MUST have write permissions for the ASP.NET
-			worker process. This path must be relative to the Root Directory path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
+			worker process. This path can be relative to the application root, or it can be an absolute path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
 		<add key="PublicDirectory" value="public\" />
 		<!-- Set this item with your preferred password, used for the root administrator (username 'admin').
 			This parameter is mandatory. -->
diff --git a/WebApplication/Web.SqlServer.Release.config b/WebApplication/Web.SqlServer.Release.config
index ea7a826..ad58da8 100644
--- a/WebApplication/Web.SqlServer.Release.config
+++ b/WebApplication/Web.SqlServer.Release.config
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 			WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE NAMES OF THE FOLLOWING KEYS: ONLY EDIT THEIR VALUES!
 		-->
 		<!-- Set this item with your "data" directory path, which MUST have write permissions for the ASP.NET
-			worker process. This path must be relative to the Root Directory path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
+			worker process. This path can be relative to the application root, or it can be an absolute path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
 		<add key="PublicDirectory" value="public\" />
 		<!-- Set this item with your preferred password, used for the root administrator (username 'admin').
 			This parameter is mandatory. -->
diff --git a/WebApplication/Web.config b/WebApplication/Web.config
index 6a7cbfc..06cc938 100644
--- a/WebApplication/Web.config
+++ b/WebApplication/Web.config
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 			WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE NAMES OF THE FOLLOWING KEYS: ONLY EDIT THEIR VALUES!
 		-->
 		<!-- Set this item with your "data" directory path, which MUST have write permissions for the ASP.NET
-			worker process. This path must be relative to the Root Directory path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
+			worker process. This path can be relative to the application root, or it can be an absolute path. This parameter is mandatory. -->
 		<add key="PublicDirectory" value="public\" />
 		<!-- Set this item with your preferred password, used for the root administrator (username 'admin').
 			This parameter is mandatory. -->