diff --git a/src/fobi/base.py b/src/fobi/base.py
index 85f4256c..47753489 100644
--- a/src/fobi/base.py
+++ b/src/fobi/base.py
@@ -638,11 +638,7 @@ class BaseTheme(object):
 
         :return list:
         """
-        media_css = self.media_css[:]
-        if self.plugin_media_css:
-            media_css += self.plugin_media_css
-
-        media_css = uniquify_sequence(media_css)
+        media_css = uniquify_sequence(self.media_css + self.plugin_media_css)
 
         return media_css
 
@@ -651,11 +647,7 @@ class BaseTheme(object):
 
         :return list:
         """
-        media_js = self.media_js[:]
-        if self.plugin_media_js:
-            media_js += self.plugin_media_js
-
-        media_js = uniquify_sequence(media_js)
+        media_js = uniquify_sequence(self.media_js + self.plugin_media_js)
 
         return media_js
 
diff --git a/src/fobi/helpers.py b/src/fobi/helpers.py
index 293bc690..edf167ba 100644
--- a/src/fobi/helpers.py
+++ b/src/fobi/helpers.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from django.contrib.auth.models import AnonymousUser
 from django.core.files.base import File
 # from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
 from django.http import HttpResponse
+from django.templatetags.static import static
 from django.test.client import RequestFactory
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils.html import format_html_join
@@ -188,6 +189,17 @@ def two_dicts_to_string(headers, data, html_element='p'):
 empty_string = text_type('')
 
 
+def absolute_path(path):
+    """
+    Given a relative or absolute path to a static asset, return an absolute
+    path. An absolute path will be returned unchanged while a relative path
+    will be passed to django.templatetags.static.static().
+    """
+    if path.startswith(('http://', 'https://', '/')):
+        return path
+    return static(path)
+
+
 def uniquify_sequence(sequence):
     """Uniqify sequence.
 
@@ -199,7 +211,8 @@ def uniquify_sequence(sequence):
     """
     seen = set()
     seen_add = seen.add
-    return [x for x in sequence if x not in seen and not seen_add(x)]
+    return [absolute_path(x)
+            for x in sequence if x not in seen and not seen_add(x)]
 
 
 def get_ignorable_form_values():
diff --git a/src/fobi/templates/fobi/generic/_base.html b/src/fobi/templates/fobi/generic/_base.html
index 5c2103f7..3656bbea 100644
--- a/src/fobi/templates/fobi/generic/_base.html
+++ b/src/fobi/templates/fobi/generic/_base.html
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
     {% block theme-stylesheets %}
     {#<!-- This is where stylesheets declared in the Python theme are listed -->#}
 
-    {% for css_file in fobi_theme.get_media_css %}
-    <link href="{% static css_file %}" rel="stylesheet" media="all" />
+    {% for css in fobi_theme.get_media_css %}
+    <link href="{{ css }}" rel="stylesheet" media="all" />
     {% endfor %}
 
     {% endblock theme-stylesheets %}
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@
     </div><!--/.container-->
     {% endblock main-content-wrapper %}
 
-
   {% endblock main-wrapper %}
 
   {% block javascripts %}
@@ -199,11 +198,10 @@
 
   {% block theme-javascripts %}
     {#<!-- This is where javascripts declared in the Python theme are listed -->#}
-    {% for js_file in fobi_theme.get_media_js %}
-    <script src="{% static js_file %}"></script>
+    {% for js in fobi_theme.get_media_js %}
+    <script src="{{ js }}"></script>
     {% endfor %}
-
   {% endblock theme-javascripts %}
-    
+
   </body>
 </html>