diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
index 3f24ca74..965f53ed 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2014 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -60,6 +60,20 @@ bool Foam::fileName::isAbsolute() const
 }
 
 
+Foam::fileName& Foam::fileName::toAbsolute()
+{
+    fileName& f = *this;
+
+    if (!f.isAbsolute())
+    {
+        f = cwd()/f;
+        f.clean();
+    }
+
+    return f;
+}
+
+
 //
 // * remove repeated slashes
 //       /abc////def        -->   /abc/def
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
index 3e97853a..d6e9684a 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2014 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -141,11 +141,14 @@ public:
 
         // Interrogation
 
-             //- Return the file type: FILE, DIRECTORY or UNDEFINED
-             Type type() const;
+            //- Return the file type: FILE, DIRECTORY or UNDEFINED
+            Type type() const;
 
-             //- Return true if file name is absolute
-             bool isAbsolute() const;
+            //- Return true if file name is absolute
+            bool isAbsolute() const;
+
+            //- Convert from relative to absolute
+            fileName& toAbsolute();
 
 
         // Decomposition