diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/better/files/File.scala b/core/src/main/scala/better/files/File.scala
index c3bcd6ba..d80f602e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/better/files/File.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/better/files/File.scala
@@ -891,6 +891,39 @@ object File {
   def apply(path: String, fragments: String*): File =
     Paths.get(path, fragments: _*)
 
+  /**
+   * Get File to path with help of reference anchor.
+   *
+   * Anchor is used as a reference in case that path
+   * is not absolute. Anchor could be path to directory or
+   * path to file. If anchor is file, then file's parent dir
+   * is used as an anchor.
+   *
+   * If anchor itself is relative, then anchor is used together
+   * with current working directory.
+   *
+   * NOTE: If anchor is non-existing path on filesystem,
+   * then it's always treated as file, e.g. it's last component
+   * is removed when it is used as an anchor.
+   *
+   * @param anchor path to be used as anchor
+   * @param path as string
+   * @param fragments optional path fragments
+   * @return absolute, normalize path
+   */
+  def apply(anchor: File, path: String, fragments: String*): File = {
+    val p = Paths.get(path, fragments: _*)
+    if (p.isAbsolute) {
+      p
+    } else {
+      if (anchor.isDirectory) {
+        anchor / p.toString
+      } else {
+        anchor.parent / p.toString
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   def apply(url: URL): File =
     apply(url.toURI)
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/better/files/FileSpec.scala b/core/src/test/scala/better/files/FileSpec.scala
index 46a98014..94a8cfdc 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/better/files/FileSpec.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/better/files/FileSpec.scala
@@ -93,6 +93,50 @@ class FileSpec extends FlatSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with Matchers {
     Seq(f, f1, f2, f4, /*f5,*/ f6, f8, f9).map(_.toString).toSet shouldBe Set(f.toString)
   }
 
+  it can "be instantiated with anchor" in {
+    // testRoot / a / a1 / t1.txt
+    val basedir = a1
+    File(basedir, "/abs/path/to/loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "/abs", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+
+    File(basedir, "rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (basedir.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (fa.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../", "rel", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be (fa.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+
+    val baseref = t1
+    File(baseref, "/abs/path/to/loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+    File(baseref, "/abs", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+
+    File(baseref, "rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (a1.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(baseref, "../rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (fa.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../", "rel", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be (fa.toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+  }
+
+  it can "be instantiated with non-existing abs anchor" in {
+    val anchorStr = "/abs/to/nowhere"
+    val anchorStr_a = anchorStr + "/a"
+    val basedir = File(anchorStr_a + "/last")
+
+    File(basedir, "/abs/path/to/loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "/abs", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+
+    File(basedir, "rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (anchorStr_a + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (anchorStr + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../", "rel", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be (anchorStr + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+  }
+
+  it can "be instantiated with non-existing relative anchor" in {
+    val relAnchor = File("rel/anc/b/last")
+    val basedir = relAnchor
+
+    File(basedir, "/abs/path/to/loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "/abs", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be("/abs/path/to/loc")
+
+    File(basedir, "rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (File("rel/anc/b").toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../rel/path/to/loc").toString should be (File("rel/anc").toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+    File(basedir, "../", "rel", "path", "to", "loc").toString should be (File("rel/anc").toString + "/rel/path/to/loc")
+  }
+
   it should "do basic I/O" in {
     t1 < "hello"
     t1.contentAsString shouldEqual "hello"