diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
@@ -82,10 +82,13 @@ def style_map(templatepath, style):
     """
     locations = style and [os.path.join(style, "map"), "map-"+style] or []
     locations.append("map")
-    for location in locations:
-        mapfile = os.path.join(templatepath, location)
-        if os.path.isfile(mapfile):
-            return mapfile
+    if isinstance(templatepath, str):
+        templatepath = [templatepath]
+    for path in templatepath:
+        for location in locations:
+            mapfile = os.path.join(path, location)
+            if os.path.isfile(mapfile):
+                return mapfile
     raise RuntimeError("No hgweb templates found in %r" % templatepath)
 
 def paritygen(stripecount, offset=0):
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@ class hgwebdir(object):
 
                 # a static file
                 if virtual.startswith('static/') or 'static' in req.form:
-                    static = os.path.join(templater.templatepath(), 'static')
                     if virtual.startswith('static/'):
                         fname = virtual[7:]
                     else:
                         fname = req.form['static'][0]
+                    static = templater.templatepath('static')
                     return staticfile(static, fname, req)
 
                 # top-level index
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -566,9 +566,15 @@ def static(web, req, tmpl):
     fname = req.form['file'][0]
     # a repo owner may set web.static in .hg/hgrc to get any file
     # readable by the user running the CGI script
-    static = web.config("web", "static",
-                        os.path.join(web.templatepath, "static"),
-                        untrusted=False)
+    static = web.config("web", "static", None, untrusted=False)
+    if not static:
+        tp = web.templatepath
+        if isinstance(tp, str):
+            tp = [tp]
+        for path in tp:
+            static = os.path.join(path, 'static')
+            if os.path.isdir(static):
+                break
     return [staticfile(static, fname, req)]
 
 def graph(web, req, tmpl):
diff --git a/mercurial/templater.py b/mercurial/templater.py
--- a/mercurial/templater.py
+++ b/mercurial/templater.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ from i18n import _
 import re, sys, os
 from mercurial import util
 
+path = ['templates', '../templates']
+
 def parsestring(s, quoted=True):
     '''parse a string using simple c-like syntax.
     string must be in quotes if quoted is True.'''
@@ -150,18 +152,27 @@ class templater(object):
 def templatepath(name=None):
     '''return location of template file or directory (if no name).
     returns None if not found.'''
+    normpaths = []
 
     # executable version (py2exe) doesn't support __file__
     if hasattr(sys, 'frozen'):
         module = sys.executable
     else:
         module = __file__
-    for f in 'templates', '../templates':
-        fl = f.split('/')
-        if name: fl.append(name)
-        p = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(module), *fl)
-        if (name and os.path.exists(p)) or os.path.isdir(p):
+    for f in path:
+        if f.startswith('/'):
+            p = f
+        else:
+            fl = f.split('/')
+            p = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(module), *fl)
+        if name:
+            p = os.path.join(p, name)
+        if name and os.path.exists(p):
             return os.path.normpath(p)
+        elif os.path.isdir(p):
+            normpaths.append(os.path.normpath(p))
+
+    return normpaths
 
 def stringify(thing):
     '''turn nested template iterator into string.'''