diff --git a/plugin.cfg b/plugin.cfg
index 532c3dda5..407a668eb 100644
--- a/plugin.cfg
+++ b/plugin.cfg
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 # Local plugin example:
 # log:log
 
-root:root
 metadata:metadata
 geoip:geoip
 cancel:cancel
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ timeouts:timeouts
 reload:reload
 nsid:nsid
 bufsize:bufsize
+root:root
 bind:bind
 debug:debug
 trace:trace
diff --git a/plugin/etcd/setup.go b/plugin/etcd/setup.go
index 5953465a5..bd81af513 100644
--- a/plugin/etcd/setup.go
+++ b/plugin/etcd/setup.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package etcd
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/caddy"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/core/dnsserver"
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@ func setup(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 }
 
 func etcdParse(c *caddy.Controller) (*Etcd, error) {
-	config := dnsserver.GetConfig(c)
 	etc := Etcd{PathPrefix: "skydns"}
 	var (
 		tlsConfig *tls.Config
@@ -68,11 +66,6 @@ func etcdParse(c *caddy.Controller) (*Etcd, error) {
 				c.RemainingArgs()
 			case "tls": // cert key cacertfile
 				args := c.RemainingArgs()
-				for i := range args {
-					if !filepath.IsAbs(args[i]) && config.Root != "" {
-						args[i] = filepath.Join(config.Root, args[i])
-					}
-				}
 				tlsConfig, err = mwtls.NewTLSConfigFromArgs(args...)
 				if err != nil {
 					return &Etcd{}, err
diff --git a/plugin/forward/setup.go b/plugin/forward/setup.go
index 2d2ff1914..6de0c870f 100644
--- a/plugin/forward/setup.go
+++ b/plugin/forward/setup.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
@@ -166,7 +165,6 @@ func parseStanza(c *caddy.Controller) (*Forward, error) {
 }
 
 func parseBlock(c *caddy.Controller, f *Forward) error {
-	config := dnsserver.GetConfig(c)
 	switch c.Val() {
 	case "except":
 		ignore := c.RemainingArgs()
@@ -232,11 +230,7 @@ func parseBlock(c *caddy.Controller, f *Forward) error {
 		if len(args) > 3 {
 			return c.ArgErr()
 		}
-		for i := range args {
-			if !filepath.IsAbs(args[i]) && config.Root != "" {
-				args[i] = filepath.Join(config.Root, args[i])
-			}
-		}
+
 		tlsConfig, err := pkgtls.NewTLSConfigFromArgs(args...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/plugin/grpc/setup.go b/plugin/grpc/setup.go
index eead54f58..48a3d2c31 100644
--- a/plugin/grpc/setup.go
+++ b/plugin/grpc/setup.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package grpc
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"fmt"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/caddy"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/core/dnsserver"
@@ -111,11 +110,7 @@ func parseBlock(c *caddy.Controller, g *GRPC) error {
 		if len(args) > 3 {
 			return c.ArgErr()
 		}
-		for i := range args {
-			if !filepath.IsAbs(args[i]) && dnsserver.GetConfig(c).Root != "" {
-				args[i] = filepath.Join(dnsserver.GetConfig(c).Root, args[i])
-			}
-		}
+
 		tlsConfig, err := pkgtls.NewTLSConfigFromArgs(args...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/plugin/tls/tls.go b/plugin/tls/tls.go
index ff60b678c..2658159a9 100644
--- a/plugin/tls/tls.go
+++ b/plugin/tls/tls.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package tls
 
 import (
 	ctls "crypto/tls"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/caddy"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/core/dnsserver"
@@ -58,11 +57,6 @@ func parseTLS(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 				return c.Errf("unknown option '%s'", c.Val())
 			}
 		}
-		for i := range args {
-			if !filepath.IsAbs(args[i]) && config.Root != "" {
-				args[i] = filepath.Join(config.Root, args[i])
-			}
-		}
 		tls, err := tls.NewTLSConfigFromArgs(args...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err