diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
index da90c5f..339a016 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 encoding//src/docs/index.html=ISO-8859-1
+encoding//src/main/java=UTF-8
+encoding//src/main/resources=UTF-8
+encoding//src/test/java=UTF-8
+encoding//src/test/resources=UTF-8
+encoding/<project>=UTF-8
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index eb1cb4c..8b5c4dc 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.methodParameters=do not generate
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.5
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.unusedLocal=preserve
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.5
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.debug.lineNumber=generate
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.debug.localVariable=generate
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.debug.sourceFile=generate
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enablePreviewFeatures=disabled
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.5
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.reportPreviewFeatures=ignore
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.release=disabled
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.8
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.m2e.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.m2e.core.prefs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f897a7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.m2e.core.prefs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+activeProfiles=
+eclipse.preferences.version=1
+resolveWorkspaceProjects=true
+version=1
diff --git a/src/main/java/fmpp/FmppTemplateLoader.java b/src/main/java/fmpp/FmppTemplateLoader.java
index 559eaeb..5c8c767 100644
--- a/src/main/java/fmpp/FmppTemplateLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/fmpp/FmppTemplateLoader.java
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ public FmppTemplateLoader(Engine engine)
 
     public Object findTemplateSource(String name)
             throws IOException {
+    	
+    	File absolutePathFile = new File(name);
+    	if(absolutePathFile.isAbsolute() && absolutePathFile.isFile()) {
+    		return absolutePathFile;
+    	}
+    	
         if (name.indexOf('\\') != -1) {
             throw new IOException("Malformed path. FreeMarker paths use slash "
                     + "(/) to separate path components, not backslash (\\). "