diff --git a/src/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io.clj b/src/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io.clj
index 3dfb4c5..ec5a67b 100644
--- a/src/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io.clj
+++ b/src/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io.clj
@@ -2,11 +2,21 @@
   (:require [clojure.java.io :as io]
             [clojure.string :as s]))
 
+; TODO: loading from cpasspath results in nil even if file exists
 (defn file-from-cp-or-filesystem
   [fs-prefix resource-path]
-  (let [file-from-cp (io/file (io/resource "templates/themes/bootstrap4-test/js"))
-        file-from-fs (io/file "./test-resources/templates/themes/bootstrap4-test/js")]
-    file-from-cp))
+  (let [file-from-cp (io/file (io/resource resource-path))
+        file-from-fs (io/file (str fs-prefix resource-path))]
+    (try 
+      (when (.exists file-from-fs)
+        file-from-fs)
+      (catch Exception e 
+        (try (when (.exists file-from-cp)
+               file-from-cp)
+             (catch Exception e 
+               (throw (IllegalArgumentException. 
+                       (str "resource " resource-path " neither found on classpath nor filesystem")))
+               ))))))
 
 (defn copy-dir 
   [source-path target-path ignored-files]
diff --git a/test/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io_test.clj b/test/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io_test.clj
index 2bcb3ea..e64eb67 100644
--- a/test/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io_test.clj
+++ b/test/cryogen_core/classpath_able_io_test.clj
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
        (.isDirectory (io/file path))))
 
 (deftest test-file-from-cp-or-filesystem
-  (is (do
-        (sut/copy-resources-from-theme theme target)
-        (and (verify-dir-exists (str target "/js"))
-             (verify-file-exists (str target "/js/dummy.js"))))))
+  (is
+   (.exists (sut/file-from-cp-or-filesystem "./test-resources" "templates/themes/bootstrap4-test/js")))
+  (is
+   (.exists (sut/file-from-cp-or-filesystem "./" ".gitignore"))))
 
 (deftest test-copy-resources-from-theme
   (is (do