diff -ur src/mod_auth_dets.erl src_patched/mod_auth_dets.erl
--- mod_auth_dets.erl	2008-08-19 13:05:23.000000000 +0200
+++ mod_auth_dets.erl	2008-08-21 09:47:49.000000000 +0200
@@ -32,27 +32,29 @@
 	 delete_group/2,
 	 remove/1]).
 
--export([store_directory_data/2]).
+-export([store_directory_data/3]).
 
 -include("httpd.hrl").
 -include("mod_auth.hrl").
 
-store_directory_data(_Directory, DirData) ->
+store_directory_data(_Directory, DirData, Server_root) ->
     ?CDEBUG("store_directory_data -> ~n"
 	    "     Directory: ~p~n"
 	    "     DirData:   ~p",
 	    [_Directory, DirData]),
 
-    PWFile = proplists:get_value(auth_user_file, DirData),
-    GroupFile = proplists:get_value(auth_group_file, DirData),
+    {PWFile, Absolute_pwdfile} = absolute_file_name(auth_user_file, DirData,
+						    Server_root),
+    {GroupFile, Absolute_groupfile} = absolute_file_name(auth_group_file,
+							 DirData, Server_root),
     Addr = proplists:get_value(bind_address, DirData),
     Port = proplists:get_value(port, DirData),
 
     PWName  = httpd_util:make_name("httpd_dets_pwdb",Addr,Port),
-    case dets:open_file(PWName,[{type,set},{file,PWFile},{repair,true}]) of
+    case dets:open_file(PWName,[{type,set},{file,Absolute_pwdfile},{repair,true}]) of
 	{ok, PWDB} ->
 	    GDBName = httpd_util:make_name("httpd_dets_groupdb",Addr,Port),
-	    case dets:open_file(GDBName,[{type,set},{file,GroupFile},{repair,true}]) of
+	    case dets:open_file(GDBName,[{type,set},{file,Absolute_groupfile},{repair,true}]) of
 		{ok, GDB} ->
 		    NDD1 = lists:keyreplace(auth_user_file, 1, DirData, 
 					    {auth_user_file, PWDB}),
@@ -228,3 +230,25 @@
     dets:close(GDB),
     dets:close(PWDB),
     ok.
+
+%% absolute_file_name/2
+%%
+%% Return the absolute path name of File_type. 
+absolute_file_name(File_type, DirData, Server_root) ->
+    Path = proplists:get_value(File_type, DirData),
+    Absolute_path = case filename:pathtype(Path) of
+			relative ->
+			    case Server_root of
+				undefined ->
+				    {error,
+				     ?NICE(Path++
+					   " is an invalid file name because "
+					   "ServerRoot is not defined")};
+				_ ->
+				    filename:join(Server_root,Path)
+			    end;
+			_ ->
+			    Path
+		    end,
+    {Path, Absolute_path}.
+
diff -ur src/mod_auth.erl src_patched/mod_auth.erl
--- mod_auth.erl	2008-08-19 13:41:00.000000000 +0200
+++ mod_auth.erl	2008-08-21 09:47:49.000000000 +0200
@@ -520,7 +520,8 @@
 			  PassW
 		  end,
 	    DirDataLast = lists:keydelete(auth_access_password,1,DirData), 
-	    case catch AuthMod:store_directory_data(Directory, DirDataLast) of
+	    Server_root = proplists:get_value(server_root, ConfigList),
+	    case catch AuthMod:store_directory_data(Directory, DirDataLast, Server_root) of
 		ok ->
 		    add_auth_password(Directory,Pwd,ConfigList),
 		    {ok, {directory, {Directory, DirDataLast}}};
diff -ur src/mod_auth_mnesia.erl src_patched/mod_auth_mnesia.erl
--- mod_auth_mnesia.erl	2008-08-19 13:48:10.000000000 +0200
+++ mod_auth_mnesia.erl	2008-08-21 09:47:49.000000000 +0200
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@
 	 remove_group_member/5, remove_group_member/6, 
 	 remove_group/4, remove_group/5]).
 
--export([store_directory_data/2]).
+-export([store_directory_data/3]).
 
 -include("httpd.hrl").
 -include("mod_auth.hrl").
 
 
 
-store_directory_data(_Directory, _DirData) ->
+store_directory_data(_Directory, _DirData, _Server_root) ->
     %% We don't need to do anything here, we could of course check that
     %% the appropriate mnesia tables has been created prior to
     %% starting the http server.
diff -ur src/mod_auth_plain.erl src_patched/mod_auth_plain.erl
--- mod_auth_plain.erl	2008-08-19 13:05:38.000000000 +0200
+++ mod_auth_plain.erl	2008-08-21 09:47:49.000000000 +0200
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 -define(VMODULE,"AUTH_PLAIN").
 
 %% Internal API
--export([store_directory_data/2]).
+-export([store_directory_data/3]).
 
 
 -export([get_user/2, 
@@ -154,9 +154,9 @@
 	    {error, no_such_group}
     end.
 
-store_directory_data(_Directory, DirData) ->
-    PWFile = proplists:get_value(auth_user_file, DirData),
-    GroupFile = proplists:get_value(auth_group_file, DirData),
+store_directory_data(_Directory, DirData, Server_root) ->
+    PWFile = absolute_file_name(auth_user_file, DirData, Server_root),
+    GroupFile = absolute_file_name(auth_group_file, DirData, Server_root),
     case load_passwd(PWFile) of
 	{ok, PWDB} ->
 	    case load_group(GroupFile) of
@@ -292,6 +292,23 @@
 
 
 
-
-
+%% absolute_file_name/2
+%%
+%% Return the absolute path name of File_type. 
+absolute_file_name(File_type, DirData, Server_root) ->
+    Path = proplists:get_value(File_type, DirData),
+    case filename:pathtype(Path) of
+	relative ->
+	    case Server_root of
+		undefined ->
+		    {error,
+		     ?NICE(Path++
+			   " is an invalid file name because "
+			   "ServerRoot is not defined")};
+		_ ->
+		    filename:join(Server_root,Path)
+	    end;
+	_ ->
+	    Path
+    end.