diff --git a/packages/meteor/url_common.js b/packages/meteor/url_common.js
index a33fb77512..a1f44173f4 100644
--- a/packages/meteor/url_common.js
+++ b/packages/meteor/url_common.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ Meteor.absoluteUrl = function (path, options) {
   if (!url)
     throw new Error("Must pass options.rootUrl or set ROOT_URL in the server environment");
 
+  if (!/^http[s]?:\/\//i.test(url)) // url starts with 'http://' or 'https://'
+    url = 'http://' + url; // we will later fix to https if options.secure is set
+
   if (!/\/$/.test(url)) // url ends with '/'
     url += '/';
 
diff --git a/packages/meteor/url_tests.js b/packages/meteor/url_tests.js
index 922fe045f8..002c5d4f4f 100644
--- a/packages/meteor/url_tests.js
+++ b/packages/meteor/url_tests.js
@@ -1,62 +1,65 @@
 Tinytest.add("absolute-url - basics", function(test) {
 
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl({rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com'}),
-             'http://asdf.com/');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl(undefined, {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com'}),
-             'http://asdf.com/');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl(undefined, {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com/'}),
-             'http://asdf.com/');
+  _.each(['', 'http://'], function (prefix) {
 
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com/'}),
-             'http://asdf.com/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('/foo', {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com'}),
-             'http://asdf.com//foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('#foo', {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com'}),
-             'http://asdf.com/#foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl({rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com'}),
+               'http://asdf.com/');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl(undefined, {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com'}),
+               'http://asdf.com/');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl(undefined, {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com/'}),
+               'http://asdf.com/');
 
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://asdf.com',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'https://asdf.com/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://asdf.com',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'https://asdf.com/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://asdf.com',
-                                        secure: false}),
-             'https://asdf.com/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com/'}),
+               'http://asdf.com/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('/foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com'}),
+               'http://asdf.com//foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('#foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com'}),
+               'http://asdf.com/#foo');
 
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://localhost',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'http://localhost/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://localhost:3000',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'http://localhost:3000/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://localhost:3000',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'https://localhost:3000/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000',
-                                        secure: true}),
-             'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'asdf.com',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'https://asdf.com/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://asdf.com',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'https://asdf.com/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://asdf.com',
+                                          secure: false}),
+               'https://asdf.com/foo');
 
-  // test replaceLocalhost
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://localhost:3000',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://localhost',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://127.0.0.1/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://127.0.0.1/foo');
-  // don't replace just any localhost
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://foo.com/localhost',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://foo.com/localhost/foo');
-  test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'http://foo.localhost.com',
-                                        replaceLocalhost: true}),
-             'http://foo.localhost.com/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'localhost',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'http://localhost/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'localhost:3000',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'http://localhost:3000/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: 'https://localhost:3000',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'https://localhost:3000/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + '127.0.0.1:3000',
+                                          secure: true}),
+               'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
+
+    // test replaceLocalhost
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'localhost:3000',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'localhost',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://127.0.0.1/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + '127.0.0.1:3000',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://127.0.0.1:3000/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + '127.0.0.1',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://127.0.0.1/foo');
+    // don't replace just any localhost
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'foo.com/localhost',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://foo.com/localhost/foo');
+    test.equal(Meteor.absoluteUrl('foo', {rootUrl: prefix + 'foo.localhost.com',
+                                          replaceLocalhost: true}),
+               'http://foo.localhost.com/foo');
+  });
 });