diff --git a/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php b/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
index 8658fe4a36..04beddb434 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/style/resource_locator.php
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class phpbb_style_resource_locator implements phpbb_template_locator
 	* style directory, such as admin control panel templates.
 	* @var string
 	*/
-	public $template_path = 'template/';
+	private $template_path;
 
 	/**
 	* Map from root index to handles to source template file paths.
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ class phpbb_style_resource_locator implements phpbb_template_locator
 	*/
 	private $filenames = array();
 
+	/**
+	* Constructor.
+	*
+	* Sets default template path to template/.
+	*/
+	public function __construct()
+	{
+		$this->set_default_template_path();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	* Sets the list of style paths
 	*
@@ -93,6 +103,31 @@ class phpbb_style_resource_locator implements phpbb_template_locator
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	* Sets the location of templates directory within style directories.
+	*
+	* The location must be a relative path, with a trailing slash.
+	* Typically it is one directory level deep, e.g. "template/".
+	*
+	* @param string $template_path Relative path to templates directory within style directories
+	* @return void
+	*/
+	public function set_template_path($template_path)
+	{
+		$this->template_path = $template_path;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* Sets the location of templates directory within style directories
+	* to the default, which is "template/".
+	*
+	* @return void
+	*/
+	public function set_default_template_path()
+	{
+		$this->template_path = 'template/';
+	}
+
 	/**
 	* {@inheritDoc}
 	*/
@@ -229,4 +264,85 @@ class phpbb_style_resource_locator implements phpbb_template_locator
 		// search failed
 		return $default_result;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	* Obtains filesystem path for a template file.
+	*
+	* The simplest use is specifying a single template file as a string
+	* in the first argument. This template file should be a basename
+	* of a template file in the selected style, or its parent styles
+	* if template inheritance is being utilized.
+	*
+	* Note: "selected style" is whatever style the style resource locator
+	* is configured for.
+	*
+	* The return value then will be a path, relative to the current
+	* directory or absolute, to the template file in the selected style
+	* or its closest parent.
+	*
+	* If the selected style does not have the template file being searched,
+	* (and if inheritance is involved, none of the parents have it either),
+	* false will be returned.
+	*
+	* Specifying true for $return_default will cause the function to
+	* return the first path which was checked for existence in the event
+	* that the template file was not found, instead of false.
+	* This is the path in the selected style itself, not any of its
+	* parents.
+	*
+	* $files can be given an array of templates instead of a single
+	* template. When given an array, the function will try to resolve
+	* each template in the array to a path, and will return the first
+	* path that exists, or false if none exist.
+	*
+	* If $files is an array and template inheritance is involved, first
+	* each of the files will be checked in the selected style, then each
+	* of the files will be checked in the immediate parent, and so on.
+	*
+	* If $return_full_path is false, then instead of returning a usable
+	* path (when the template is found) only the template's basename
+	* will be returned. This can be used to check which of the templates
+	* specified in $files exists. Naturally more than one template must
+	* be given in $files.
+	*
+	* This function works identically to get_first_file_location except
+	* it operates on a list of templates, not files. Practically speaking,
+	* the templates given in the first argument first are prepended with
+	* the template path (property in this class), then given to
+	* get_first_file_location for the rest of the processing.
+	*
+	* Templates given to this function can be relative paths for templates
+	* located in subdirectories of the template directories. The paths
+	* should be relative to the templates directory (template/ by default).
+	*
+	* @param string or array $files List of templates to locate. If there is only
+	*				one template, $files can be a string to make code easier to read.
+	* @param bool $return_default Determines what to return if template does not
+	*				exist. If true, function will return location where template is
+	*				supposed to be. If false, function will return false.
+	* @param bool $return_full_path If true, function will return full path
+	*				to template. If false, function will return template file name.
+	*				This parameter can be used to check which one of set of template
+	*				files is available.
+	* @return string or boolean Source template path if template exists or $return_default is
+	*				true. False if template does not exist and $return_default is false
+	*/
+	public function get_first_template_location($templates, $return_default = false, $return_full_path = true)
+	{
+		// add template path prefix
+		$files = array();
+		if (is_string($templates))
+		{
+			$files[] = $this->template_path . $templates;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			foreach ($templates as $template)
+			{
+				$files[] = $this->template_path . $template;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return $this->get_first_file_location($files, $return_default, $return_full_path);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/style/style.php b/phpBB/includes/style/style.php
index 36298b49ec..effd496fb9 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/style/style.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/style/style.php
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class phpbb_style
 	*
 	* @param string $name Name of style, used for cache prefix. Examples: "admin", "prosilver"
 	* @param array or string $paths Array of style paths, relative to current root directory
-	* @param string $template_path Path to templates, relative to style directory. False if path should not be changed.
+	* @param string $template_path Path to templates, relative to style directory. False if path should be set to default (templates/).
 	*/
 	public function set_custom_style($name, $paths, $template_path = false)
 	{
@@ -122,12 +122,16 @@ class phpbb_style
 		$this->provider->set_styles($paths);
 		$this->locator->set_paths($this->provider);
 
-		$this->template->cachepath = $this->phpbb_root_path . 'cache/tpl_' . str_replace('_', '-', $name) . '_';
-
 		if ($template_path !== false)
 		{
-			$this->template->template_path = $this->locator->template_path = $template_path;
+			$this->locator->set_template_path($template_path);
 		}
+		else
+		{
+			$this->locator->set_default_template_path();
+		}
+
+		$this->template->cachepath = $this->phpbb_root_path . 'cache/tpl_' . str_replace('_', '-', $name) . '_';
 
 		return true;
 	}
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php b/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php
index 01c79eec4e..42db91efb2 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/template/locator.php
@@ -99,12 +99,54 @@ interface phpbb_template_locator
 	public function get_source_file_for_handle($handle, $find_all = false);
 
 	/**
-	* Locates source file path, accounting for styles tree and verifying that
-	* the path exists.
+	* Obtains a complete filesystem path for a file in a style.
 	*
-	* Unlike previous functions, this function works without template handle
-	* and it can search for more than one file. If more than one file name is
-	* specified, it will return location of file that it finds first.
+	* This function traverses the style tree (selected style and
+	* its parents in order, if inheritance is being used) and finds
+	* the first file on the filesystem matching specified relative path,
+	* or the first of the specified paths if more than one path is given.
+	*
+	* This function can be used to determine filesystem path of any
+	* file under any style, with the consequence being that complete
+	* relative to the style directory path must be provided as an argument.
+	*
+	* In particular, this function can be used to locate templates
+	* and javascript files.
+	*
+	* For locating templates get_first_template_location should be used
+	* as it prepends the configured template path to the template basename.
+	*
+	* Note: "selected style" is whatever style the style resource locator
+	* is configured for.
+	*
+	* The return value then will be a path, relative to the current
+	* directory or absolute, to the first existing file in the selected
+	* style or its closest parent.
+	*
+	* If the selected style does not have the file being searched,
+	* (and if inheritance is involved, none of the parents have it either),
+	* false will be returned.
+	*
+	* Multiple files can be specified, in which case the first file in
+	* the list that can be found on the filesystem is returned.
+	*
+	* If multiple files are specified and inheritance is involved,
+	* first each of the specified files is checked in the selected style,
+	* then each of the specified files is checked in the immediate parent,
+	* etc.
+	*
+	* Specifying true for $return_default will cause the function to
+	* return the first path which was checked for existence in the event
+	* that the template file was not found, instead of false.
+	* This is always a path in the selected style itself, not any of its
+	* parents.
+	*
+	* If $return_full_path is false, then instead of returning a usable
+	* path (when the file is found) the file's path relative to the style
+	* directory will be returned. This is the same path as was given to
+	* the function as a parameter. This can be used to check which of the
+	* files specified in $files exists. Naturally this requires passing
+	* more than one file in $files.
 	*
 	* @param array $files List of files to locate.
 	* @param bool $return_default Determines what to return if file does not
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/template/template.php b/phpBB/includes/template/template.php
index 8a7dc6b2f3..5396ddbfad 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/template/template.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/template/template.php
@@ -74,12 +74,6 @@ class phpbb_template
 	*/
 	private $locator;
 
-	/**
-	* Location of templates directory within style directories
-	* @var string
-	*/
-	public $template_path = 'template/';
-
 	/**
 	* Constructor.
 	*
@@ -95,7 +89,6 @@ class phpbb_template
 		$this->config = $config;
 		$this->user = $user;
 		$this->locator = $locator;
-		$this->template_path = $this->locator->template_path;
 		$this->context = $context;
 	}
 
@@ -458,74 +451,6 @@ class phpbb_template
 		include($file);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	* Obtains filesystem path for a template file.
-	*
-	* The simplest use is specifying a single template file as a string
-	* in the first argument. This template file should be a basename
-	* of a template file in the selected style, or its parent styles
-	* if template inheritance is being utilized.
-	*
-	* Note: "selected style" is whatever style the style resource locator
-	* is configured for.
-	*
-	* The return value then will be a path, relative to the current
-	* directory or absolute, to the template file in the selected style
-	* or its closest parent.
-	*
-	* If the selected style does not have the template file being searched,
-	* (and if inheritance is involved, none of the parents have it either),
-	* false will be returned.
-	*
-	* Specifying true for $return_default will cause the function to
-	* return the first path which was checked for existence in the event
-	* that the template file was not found, instead of false.
-	* This is the path in the selected style itself, not any of its
-	* parents.
-	*
-	* $files can be given an array of templates instead of a single
-	* template. When given an array, the function will try to resolve
-	* each template in the array to a path, and will return the first
-	* path that exists, or false if none exist.
-	*
-	* If $return_full_path is false, then instead of returning a usable
-	* path (when the template is found) only the template's basename
-	* will be returned. This can be used to check which of the templates
-	* specified in $files exists, provided different file names are
-	* used for different templates.
-	*
-	* @param string or array $files List of templates to locate. If there is only
-	*				one template, $files can be a string to make code easier to read.
-	* @param bool $return_default Determines what to return if template does not
-	*				exist. If true, function will return location where template is
-	*				supposed to be. If false, function will return false.
-	* @param bool $return_full_path If true, function will return full path
-	*				to template. If false, function will return template file name.
-	*				This parameter can be used to check which one of set of template
-	*				files is available.
-	* @return string or boolean Source template path if template exists or $return_default is
-	*				true. False if template does not exist and $return_default is false
-	*/
-	public function locate($files, $return_default = false, $return_full_path = true)
-	{
-		// add template path prefix
-		$templates = array();
-		if (is_string($files))
-		{
-			$templates[] = $this->template_path . $files;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			foreach ($files as $file)
-			{
-				$templates[] = $this->template_path . $file;
-			}
-		}
-
-		// use resource locator to find files
-		return $this->locator->get_first_file_location($templates, $return_default, $return_full_path);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	* Include JS file
 	*
diff --git a/tests/template/template_locate_test.php b/tests/template/template_locate_test.php
index be9ae06809..851dcae8ea 100644
--- a/tests/template/template_locate_test.php
+++ b/tests/template/template_locate_test.php
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class phpbb_template_template_locate_test extends phpbb_template_template_test_c
 		$this->setup_engine();
 
 		// Locate template
-		$result = $this->template->locate($files, $return_default, $return_full_path);
+		$result = $this->style_resource_locator->get_first_template_location($files, $return_default, $return_full_path);
 		$this->assertSame($expected, $result);
 	}
 }