diff --git a/simgear/embedded_resources/embedded_resources_test.cxx b/simgear/embedded_resources/embedded_resources_test.cxx
index 5e9bf600..c15a6d65 100644
--- a/simgear/embedded_resources/embedded_resources_test.cxx
+++ b/simgear/embedded_resources/embedded_resources_test.cxx
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ void test_addAlreadyExistingResource()
     "add an already existing resource" << endl;
   const auto& resMgr = EmbeddedResourceManager::instance();
 
-  for (const string& locale: {"", "fr", "fr_FR"}) {
+  for (const string locale: {"", "fr", "fr_FR"}) {
     // For these tests, we don't care about the resource contents -> no need
     // to substract 1 from the result of sizeof() as we did above.
     unique_ptr<const RawEmbeddedResource> someRes(
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ void test_getLocaleAndSelectLocale()
     "EmbeddedResourceManager" << endl;
   const auto& resMgr = EmbeddedResourceManager::instance();
 
-  for (const string& locale: {"", "fr", "fr_FR", "de_DE"}) {
+  for (const string locale: {"", "fr", "fr_FR", "de_DE"}) {
     // The important effects of setLocale() are tested in
     // test_localeDependencyOfResourceFetching()
     resMgr->selectLocale(locale);
diff --git a/simgear/misc/ResourceManager.cxx b/simgear/misc/ResourceManager.cxx
index ec538f1b..9c3b6f2e 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/ResourceManager.cxx
+++ b/simgear/misc/ResourceManager.cxx
@@ -127,20 +127,32 @@ void ResourceManager::removeProvider(ResourceProvider* aProvider)
 
 SGPath ResourceManager::findPath(const std::string& aResource, SGPath aContext)
 {
-    if (!aContext.isNull()) {
-        SGPath r(aContext, aResource);
-        if (r.exists()) {
-            return r;
+    const SGPath completePath(aContext, aResource);
+
+    if (!aContext.isNull() && completePath.exists()) {
+        return completePath;
+    }
+
+    // Absolute, existing path and SGPath::validate() grants read access -> OK
+    if (completePath.isAbsolute()) {
+        const auto authorizedPath = completePath.validate(false);
+        if (!authorizedPath.isNull() && authorizedPath.exists()) {
+            return authorizedPath;
         }
     }
-    
-    for (auto provider : _providers) {
-      SGPath path = provider->resolve(aResource, aContext);
-      if (!path.isNull()) {
-        return path;
-      }
+
+    // Loop over the resource providers even if 'completePath' is absolute.
+    // For instance, when readProperties() processes 'include' attributes, it
+    // is expected that 'aResource' be interpreted relatively to 'aContext'
+    // or, if this doesn't lead to an existing file, a data path like
+    // $FG_ROOT. In the latter case, BasePathProvider will do the job.
+    for (const auto& provider : _providers) {
+        const SGPath path = provider->resolve(aResource, aContext);
+        if (!path.isNull()) {
+            return path;
+        }
     }
-    
+
     return SGPath();
 }