diff --git a/src/init.js b/src/init.js
index 3b3e40c..8c5d583 100644
--- a/src/init.js
+++ b/src/init.js
@@ -2,6 +2,24 @@ import deepExtend from 'deep-extend';
 import defaults from './defaults';
 import Promise from 'bluebird';
 
+import path from 'path';
+
+/**
+ * For relative pathing to work, let's convert all paths in src options to
+ * absolute paths, if they are not already.
+ * @param {Object} opts   Mutated in place.
+ */
+function normalizePaths (opts) {
+  for (var srcKey in opts.src) {
+    if (!path.isAbsolute(opts.src[srcKey].glob)) {
+      opts.src[srcKey].glob = path.resolve(opts.src[srcKey].glob);
+    }
+    if (!path.isAbsolute(opts.src[srcKey].basedir)) {
+      opts.src[srcKey].basedir = path.resolve(opts.src[srcKey].basedir);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Merge defaults into passed options.
  * @param {Object} options
@@ -9,8 +27,10 @@ import Promise from 'bluebird';
  *                              primarily for testing purposes.
  * @return {Promise} resolving to merged options
  */
+
 function init (options = {}, handlebars) {
   const opts = deepExtend({}, defaults, options);
+  normalizePaths(opts);
   opts.handlebars = handlebars || require('handlebars');
   return Promise.resolve(opts);
 }
diff --git a/src/write/collections.js b/src/write/collections.js
index 29c8dd5..03d9b6e 100644
--- a/src/write/collections.js
+++ b/src/write/collections.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { writeResource } from '../utils/write';
 import DrizzleError from '../utils/error';
+import path from 'path';
 
 const hasCollection = patterns => patterns.hasOwnProperty('collection');
 const isCollection = patterns => patterns.hasOwnProperty('items');
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ function writeCollections (drizzleData) {
   return Promise.all(walkCollections(
     drizzleData.patterns,
     drizzleData,
-    [drizzleData.options.src.patterns.basedir])
+    [path.basename(drizzleData.options.src.patterns.basedir)])
   ).then(writePromises => drizzleData,
          error => DrizzleError.error(error, drizzleData.options.debug));
 }
diff --git a/test/config.js b/test/config.js
index 99fd889..fb583f9 100644
--- a/test/config.js
+++ b/test/config.js
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ var config = {
         basedir: fixturePath('pages')
       },
       patterns: {
-        glob: fixturePath('patterns/**/*.html'),
-        basedir: fixturePath('patterns')
+        glob: './test/fixtures/patterns/**/*.html',
+        basedir: './test/fixtures/patterns'
       },
       templates: {
         glob: fixturePath('templates/**/*'),
diff --git a/test/init.js b/test/init.js
index 181aa90..8cdeec9 100644
--- a/test/init.js
+++ b/test/init.js
@@ -140,5 +140,6 @@ describe ('init', () => {
         expect(options.parsers.foo).to.contain.keys('pattern');
       });
     });
+    it ('should convert relative src paths to absolute');
   });
 });