diff --git a/app/press/Compressor.java b/app/press/Compressor.java
index 26244f2..daae6b3 100644
--- a/app/press/Compressor.java
+++ b/app/press/Compressor.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import play.Play;
 import play.PlayPlugin;
 import play.cache.Cache;
 import play.exceptions.UnexpectedException;
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ public List<FileInfo> getFileListOrder() {
     public void addFileListToCache(String cacheKey, List<FileInfo> originalList) {
         List<FileInfo> newList = new ArrayList<FileInfo>();
         for (FileInfo fileInfo : originalList) {
-            VirtualFile file = VirtualFile.fromRelativePath(srcDir + fileInfo.fileName);
+            VirtualFile file = getVirtualFile(srcDir + fileInfo.fileName);
 
             // Check the file exists
             if (!file.exists()) {
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ protected static VirtualFile getCompressedFile(FileCompressor compressor,
         String fileName = Crypto.passwordHash(joinedFileNames);
         fileName = lettersOnly(fileName);
         String filePath = compressedDir + fileName + extension;
-        VirtualFile file = VirtualFile.fromRelativePath(filePath);
+        VirtualFile file = getVirtualFile(filePath);
 
         // If the file already exists in the cache, return it
         if (useCache(componentFiles, file, extension)) {
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ protected static VirtualFile getCompressedFile(FileCompressor compressor,
                 componentFiles.size());
 
         // Create the directory if it doesn't already exist
-        VirtualFile dir = VirtualFile.fromRelativePath(compressedDir);
+        VirtualFile dir = getVirtualFile(compressedDir);
         if (!dir.exists()) {
             if (!dir.getRealFile().mkdirs()) {
                 throw new PressException("Could not create directory for compressed file output "
@@ -323,7 +324,7 @@ public static List<File> clearCache(String compressedDir, String extension) {
         PressLogger.trace("Deleting cached files");
 
         // Get the cache directory
-        VirtualFile dir = VirtualFile.fromRelativePath(compressedDir);
+        VirtualFile dir = getVirtualFile(compressedDir);
         if (!dir.exists() || !dir.isDirectory()) {
             return new ArrayList<File>();
         }
@@ -535,6 +536,14 @@ protected List<String> getFilesInResponse(String content) {
         return filesInOrder;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the file at the given path, relative to the application root, even
+     * if the file doesn't exist
+     */
+    private static VirtualFile getVirtualFile(String filePath) {
+        return VirtualFile.open(Play.getFile(filePath));
+    }
+
     protected static class FileInfo {
         String fileName;
         boolean compress;