diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
index 9d07cbfc4f..e2ae268f25 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/compiler_host.ts
@@ -142,7 +142,10 @@ class CompilerHostMixin {
   resourceNameToFileName(resourceName: string, containingFile: string): string|null {
     // Note: we convert package paths into relative paths to be compatible with the the
     // previous implementation of UrlResolver.
-    if (resourceName && resourceName.charAt(0) !== '.' && !path.isAbsolute(resourceName)) {
+    const firstChar = resourceName[0];
+    if (firstChar === '/') {
+      resourceName = resourceName.slice(1);
+    } else if (firstChar !== '.') {
       resourceName = `./${resourceName}`;
     }
     const filePathWithNgResource =
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/transformers/compiler_host_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/transformers/compiler_host_spec.ts
index 9d86f460c6..10f5450e07 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/transformers/compiler_host_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/transformers/compiler_host_spec.ts
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ describe('NgCompilerHost', () => {
           .toBe('/tmp/src/a/child.html');
     });
 
-    it('should resolve absolute paths', () => {
-      const ngHost = createHost({files: {'tmp': {'src': {'a': {'child.html': '<div>'}}}}});
-      expect(ngHost.resourceNameToFileName('/tmp/src/a/child.html', '/tmp/src/index.ts'))
-          .toBe('/tmp/src/a/child.html');
+    it('should resolve absolute paths as package paths', () => {
+      const ngHost = createHost({files: {'tmp': {'node_modules': {'a': {'child.html': '<div>'}}}}});
+      expect(ngHost.resourceNameToFileName('/a/child.html', ''))
+          .toBe('/tmp/node_modules/a/child.html');
     });
   });
 });