diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
index 437781c3716..3eb9c4ed91c 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/action_plugins/copy.py
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ class ActionModule(object):
             if not found:
                 results=dict(failed=True, msg="could not find src in first_available_file list")
                 return ReturnData(conn=conn, result=results)
-
-        source = utils.template(self.runner.basedir, source, inject)
-        source = utils.path_dwim(self.runner.basedir, source)
+        else:
+            source = utils.template(self.runner.basedir, source, inject)
+            source = utils.path_dwim(self.runner.basedir, source)
 
         local_md5 = utils.md5(source)
         if local_md5 is None:
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index 27b437c76e1..a019e6d7398 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ def prepare_writeable_dir(tree):
 def path_dwim(basedir, given):
     '''
     make relative paths work like folks expect.
-    if a relative path is provided, convert it to an absolute path.
     '''
 
     if given.startswith("/"):
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ def path_dwim(basedir, given):
     elif given.startswith("~/"):
         return os.path.expanduser(given)
     else:
-        return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(basedir, given))
+        return os.path.join(basedir, given)
 
 def json_loads(data):
     ''' parse a JSON string and return a data structure '''