diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
index 6061380..d4ab4a1 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
@@ -749,6 +749,8 @@ class FileFindHandler(web.StaticFileHandler):
     _static_paths = {}
     
     def initialize(self, path, default_filename=None):
+        if isinstance(path, basestring):
+            path = [path]
         self.roots = tuple(
             os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(p)) + os.path.sep for p in path
         )
@@ -849,14 +851,16 @@ class FileFindHandler(web.StaticFileHandler):
         could be determined.
         """
         # begin subclass override:
-        static_path = settings['static_path']
+        static_paths = settings['static_path']
+        if isinstance(static_paths, basestring):
+            static_paths = [static_paths]
         roots = tuple(
-            os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(p)) + os.path.sep for p in static_path
+            os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(p)) + os.path.sep for p in static_paths
         )
 
         try:
             abs_path = filefind(path, roots)
-        except Exception:
+        except IOError:
             logging.error("Could not find static file %r", path)
             return None
         
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
index 4cc7fd2..1a300b8 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class NotebookWebApplication(web.Application):
         
         settings = dict(
             template_path=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "templates"),
-            static_path=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "static"),
+            static_path=ipython_app.static_file_path,
             static_handler_class = FileFindHandler,
             cookie_secret=os.urandom(1024),
             login_url="%s/login"%(base_project_url.rstrip('/')),