diff --git a/pkg/commands/build.go b/pkg/commands/build.go
index 41b24cc00..e268dfff5 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/build.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/build.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (o *buildOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
 
 // RunBuild runs build command.
 func (o *buildOptions) RunBuild(out io.Writer, fSys fs.FileSystem) error {
-	rootLoader, err := loader.NewLoader(o.kustomizationPath, fSys)
+	rootLoader, err := loader.NewLoader(o.kustomizationPath, "", fSys)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/diff.go b/pkg/commands/diff.go
index 8b9053b1d..70f3a7c2e 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/diff.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/diff.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (o *diffOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
 // RunDiff gets the differences between Application.MakeCustomizedResMap() and Application.MakeUncustomizedResMap().
 func (o *diffOptions) RunDiff(out, errOut io.Writer, fSys fs.FileSystem) error {
 
-	rootLoader, err := loader.NewLoader(o.kustomizationPath, fSys)
+	rootLoader, err := loader.NewLoader(o.kustomizationPath, "", fSys)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/loader/fileloader.go b/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
index 2fe58479d..cb32b953c 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
@@ -53,17 +53,7 @@ func (l *fileLoader) Root() string {
 // Example: "/home/seans/project" or "/home/seans/project/"
 // NOT "/home/seans/project/file.yaml".
 func (l *fileLoader) New(newRoot string) (Loader, error) {
-	if isRepoUrl(newRoot) {
-		return newGithubLoader(newRoot, l.fSys)
-	}
-	if !l.IsAbsPath(l.root, newRoot) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Not abs path: l.root='%s', loc='%s'\n", l.root, newRoot)
-	}
-	root, err := l.fullLocation(l.root, newRoot)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return newFileLoaderAtRoot(root, l.fSys), nil
+	return NewLoader(newRoot, l.root, l.fSys)
 }
 
 // IsAbsPath return true if the location calculated with the root
diff --git a/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go b/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
index 7d8ffe41d..5a2a3cc10 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestLoader_Root(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected in New(): %v\n", err)
 	}
-	if "/home/seans/project/" != loader.Root() {
+	if "/home/seans/project" != loader.Root() {
 		t.Fatalf("Incorrect Loader Root: %s\n", loader.Root())
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/loader/githubloader.go b/pkg/loader/githubloader.go
index e48551d1b..f6c452589 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/githubloader.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/githubloader.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 type githubLoader struct {
 	repo        string
 	checkoutDir string
-	fSys        fs.FileSystem
 	loader      *fileLoader
 }
 
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ func newGithubLoader(repoUrl string, fs fs.FileSystem) (*githubLoader, error) {
 	return &githubLoader{
 		repo:        repoUrl,
 		checkoutDir: target,
-		fSys:        fs,
 		loader:      l,
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/loader/loader.go b/pkg/loader/loader.go
index 74c5444c1..3a3f1893b 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/loader.go
@@ -38,23 +38,38 @@ type Loader interface {
 
 // NewLoader returns a Loader given a target
 // The target can be a local disk directory or a github Url
-func NewLoader(target string, fSys fs.FileSystem) (Loader, error) {
+func NewLoader(target, r string, fSys fs.FileSystem) (Loader, error) {
+	if !isValidLoaderPath(target, r) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Not valid path: root='%s', loc='%s'\n", r, target)
+	}
+
 	if isRepoUrl(target) {
 		return newGithubLoader(target, fSys)
 	}
 
-	l := NewFileLoader(fSys)
-	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(target)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	l := newFileLoaderAtRoot(r, fSys)
+	if isRootLoaderPath(r) {
+		absPath, err := filepath.Abs(target)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		target = absPath
 	}
 
-	if !l.IsAbsPath(l.root, absPath) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Not abs path: l.root='%s', loc='%s'\n", l.root, absPath)
+	if !l.IsAbsPath(l.root, target) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Not abs path: l.root='%s', loc='%s'\n", l.root, target)
 	}
-	root, err := l.fullLocation(l.root, absPath)
+	root, err := l.fullLocation(l.root, target)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return newFileLoaderAtRoot(root, l.fSys), nil
 }
+
+func isValidLoaderPath(target, root string) bool {
+	return target != "" || root != ""
+}
+
+func isRootLoaderPath(root string) bool {
+	return root == ""
+}