diff --git a/.changeset/rude-cameras-compare.md b/.changeset/rude-cameras-compare.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a08068ff3be0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rude-cameras-compare.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': minor
+---
+
+feat: use relative `base` path in client
diff --git a/packages/adapter-static/test/test.js b/packages/adapter-static/test/test.js
index 0fe826aceefc..c4144c1bd532 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-static/test/test.js
+++ b/packages/adapter-static/test/test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import fs from 'fs';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as assert from 'uvu/assert';
 import { run } from './utils.js';
 
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
index 5517deb6ea44..1dcb06e9f981 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
@@ -374,9 +374,12 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 				case '\0__sveltekit/paths':
 					const { assets, base } = svelte_config.kit.paths;
 
+					// use the values defined in `global`, but fall back to hard-coded values
+					// for the sake of things like Vitest which may import this module
+					// outside the context of a page
 					if (browser) {
-						return `export const base = ${s(base)};
-export const assets = ${global}.assets;`;
+						return `export const base = ${global}?.base ?? ${s(base)};
+export const assets = ${global}?.assets ?? ${assets ? s(assets) : 'base'};`;
 					}
 
 					return `export const base = ${s(base)};
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/internal.d.ts b/packages/kit/src/internal.d.ts
index cfe9bf548544..a29fe366a20d 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/internal.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/internal.d.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ declare module '__sveltekit/environment' {
 
 /** Internal version of $app/paths */
 declare module '__sveltekit/paths' {
-	export const base: `/${string}`;
+	export const base: string;
 	export let assets: `https://${string}` | `http://${string}`;
 	export function set_assets(path: string): void;
 }
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/render.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/render.js
index 92da25ad1916..29edd2a5c745 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/render.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/render.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as devalue from 'devalue';
 import { readable, writable } from 'svelte/store';
 import { DEV } from 'esm-env';
-import { assets, base } from '__sveltekit/paths';
+import * as paths from '__sveltekit/paths';
 import { hash } from '../../hash.js';
 import { serialize_data } from './serialize_data.js';
 import { s } from '../../../utils/misc.js';
@@ -156,34 +156,31 @@ export async function render_response({
 		rendered = { head: '', html: '', css: { code: '', map: null } };
 	}
 
+	const segments = event.url.pathname.slice(paths.base.length).split('/').slice(2);
+	const base = segments.map(() => '..').join('/') || '.';
+
 	/**
-	 * The prefix to use for static assets. Replaces `%sveltekit.assets%` in the template
-	 * @type {string}
+	 * An expression that will evaluate in the client to determine the resolved base path.
+	 * We use a relative path when possible to support IPFS, the internet archive, etc.
 	 */
-	let resolved_assets;
+	const base_expression =
+		state.prerendering?.fallback || paths.base !== ''
+			? s(paths.base)
+			: `new URL(${s(base)}, location.href).pathname.slice(0,-1)`;
 
 	/**
-	 * An expression that will evaluate in the client to determine the resolved asset path
+	 * An expression that will evaluate in the client to determine the resolved asset path.
+	 * If `undefined`, falls back to `base`
 	 */
-	let asset_expression;
-
-	if (assets) {
-		// if an asset path is specified, use it
-		resolved_assets = assets;
-		asset_expression = s(assets);
-	} else if (state.prerendering?.fallback) {
-		// if we're creating a fallback page, asset paths need to be root-relative
-		resolved_assets = base;
-		asset_expression = s(base);
-	} else {
-		// otherwise we want asset paths to be relative to the page, so that they
-		// will work in odd contexts like IPFS, the internet archive, and so on
-		const segments = event.url.pathname.slice(base.length).split('/').slice(2);
-		resolved_assets = segments.length > 0 ? segments.map(() => '..').join('/') : '.';
-		asset_expression = `new URL(${s(
-			resolved_assets
-		)}, location.href).pathname.replace(/^\\\/$/, '')`;
-	}
+	const asset_expression = paths.assets ? s(paths.assets) : undefined;
+
+	/**
+	 * The prefix to use for static assets. Replaces `%sveltekit.assets%` in the template.
+	 * If an asset path is specified, use it. If we're creating a fallback page, asset paths
+	 * need to be root-relative. Otherwise, use the base path relative to the current page.
+	 * @type {string}
+	 */
+	const assets = paths.assets || (state.prerendering?.fallback ? paths.base : base);
 
 	let head = '';
 	let body = rendered.html;
@@ -198,9 +195,9 @@ export async function render_response({
 			// Vite makes the start script available through the base path and without it.
 			// We load it via the base path in order to support remote IDE environments which proxy
 			// all URLs under the base path during development.
-			return base + path;
+			return paths.base + path;
 		}
-		return `${resolved_assets}/${path}`;
+		return `${assets}/${path}`;
 	};
 
 	if (inline_styles.size > 0) {
@@ -285,9 +282,10 @@ export async function render_response({
 
 		const properties = [
 			`env: ${s(public_env)}`,
-			`assets: ${asset_expression}`,
+			asset_expression && `assets: ${asset_expression}`,
+			`base: ${base_expression}`,
 			`element: document.currentScript.parentElement`
-		];
+		].filter(Boolean);
 
 		if (chunks) {
 			blocks.push(`const deferred = new Map();`);
@@ -418,7 +416,7 @@ export async function render_response({
 	const html = options.templates.app({
 		head,
 		body,
-		assets: resolved_assets,
+		assets,
 		nonce: /** @type {string} */ (csp.nonce),
 		env: public_env
 	});