diff --git a/services/syncbase/server/database.go b/services/syncbase/server/database.go
index eb7de69..bf0b800 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/server/database.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/server/database.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"math/rand"
-	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 type DatabaseOptions struct {
 	// Database-level permissions.
 	Perms access.Permissions
-	// Root dir for data storage.
+	// Root dir for data storage. This path is relative from the service's RootDir.
 	RootDir string
 	// Storage engine to use.
 	Engine string
@@ -174,7 +174,10 @@
 // openDatabase opens a database and returns a *database for it. Designed for
 // use from within newDatabase and newService.
 func openDatabase(ctx *context.T, s *service, id wire.Id, opts DatabaseOptions, openOpts storeutil.OpenOptions) (*database, error) {
-	st, err := storeutil.OpenStore(opts.Engine, path.Join(opts.RootDir, opts.Engine), openOpts)
+	// DatabaseOption's RootDir is relative to the service's RootDir (but for backwards compatibility
+	// s.absRootDir will return any absolute paths as-is).
+	p := s.absRootDir(filepath.Join(opts.RootDir, opts.Engine))
+	st, err := storeutil.OpenStore(opts.Engine, p, openOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/services/syncbase/server/db_gc.go b/services/syncbase/server/db_gc.go
index ff194a2..b0829fb 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/server/db_gc.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/server/db_gc.go
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@
 // finalizeDatabaseDestroy attempts to close (if stRef is not nil) and destroy
 // the database store. If successful, it removes the dbInfo record from the
 // garbage collection log.
-func finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx *context.T, stw store.StoreWriter, dbInfo *DbInfo, stRef store.Store) error {
-	vlog.VI(2).Infof("server: destroying store at %q for database %v (closing: %v)", dbInfo.RootDir, dbInfo.Id, stRef != nil)
+func finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx *context.T, s *service, dbInfo *DbInfo, stRef store.Store) error {
+	rootDir := s.absRootDir(dbInfo.RootDir)
+	vlog.VI(2).Infof("server: destroying store at %q for database %v (closing: %v)", rootDir, dbInfo.Id, stRef != nil)
 	if stRef != nil {
 		// TODO(ivanpi): Safer to crash syncbased on Close() failure? Otherwise,
 		// already running calls might continue using the database. Alternatively,
@@ -69,10 +70,10 @@
 			return wrapGCError(dbInfo, err)
 		}
 	}
-	if err := storeutil.DestroyStore(dbInfo.Engine, dbInfo.RootDir); err != nil {
+	if err := storeutil.DestroyStore(dbInfo.Engine, rootDir); err != nil {
 		return wrapGCError(dbInfo, err)
 	}
-	if err := delDbGCEntry(ctx, stw, dbInfo); err != nil {
+	if err := delDbGCEntry(ctx, s.st, dbInfo); err != nil {
 		return wrapGCError(dbInfo, err)
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -85,11 +86,11 @@
 // creation or deletion since it can cause spurious failures (e.g. garbage
 // collecting a database that is being created).
 // TODO(ivanpi): Consider adding mutex to allow running GC concurrently.
-func runGCInactiveDatabases(ctx *context.T, st store.Store) error {
+func runGCInactiveDatabases(ctx *context.T, s *service) error {
 	vlog.VI(2).Infof("server: starting garbage collection of inactive databases")
 	total := 0
 	deleted := 0
-	gcIt := st.Scan(common.ScanPrefixArgs(common.DbGCPrefix, ""))
+	gcIt := s.st.Scan(common.ScanPrefixArgs(common.DbGCPrefix, ""))
 	var diBytes []byte
 	for gcIt.Advance() {
 		diBytes = gcIt.Value(diBytes)
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@
 			verror.New(verror.ErrInternal, ctx, err)
 		}
 		total++
-		if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, st, &dbInfo, nil); err != nil {
+		if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, s, &dbInfo, nil); err != nil {
 			vlog.Error(err)
 		} else {
 			deleted++
diff --git a/services/syncbase/server/service.go b/services/syncbase/server/service.go
index 2349561..c51d939 100644
--- a/services/syncbase/server/service.go
+++ b/services/syncbase/server/service.go
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
 		// Run garbage collection of inactive databases.
 		// TODO(ivanpi): This is currently unsafe to call concurrently with
 		// database creation/deletion. Add mutex and run asynchronously.
-		if err := runGCInactiveDatabases(ctx, st); err != nil {
+		if err := runGCInactiveDatabases(ctx, s); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		// Initialize in-memory data structures, namely the dbs map.
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@
 			// on syncbased restart. (It is safe to pass nil stRef if step 3 fails.)
 			// TODO(ivanpi): Consider running asynchronously. However, see TODO in
 			// finalizeDatabaseDestroy.
-			if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, s.st, dbInfo, stRef); err != nil {
+			if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, s, dbInfo, stRef); err != nil {
 				ctx.Error(err)
 			}
 		}
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@
 	// might still be using the store.
 	// TODO(ivanpi): Consider running asynchronously. However, see TODO in
 	// finalizeDatabaseDestroy.
-	if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, s.st, dbInfo, d.St()); err != nil {
+	if err := finalizeDatabaseDestroy(ctx, s, dbInfo, d.St()); err != nil {
 		ctx.Error(err)
 	}
 
@@ -641,5 +641,16 @@
 	if len(appDir) > 255 || len(dbDir) > 255 {
 		ctx.Fatalf("appDir %s or dbDir %s is too long", appDir, dbDir)
 	}
-	return filepath.Join(s.opts.RootDir, common.AppDir, appDir, common.DbDir, dbDir), nil
+	return filepath.Join(common.AppDir, appDir, common.DbDir, dbDir), nil
+}
+
+// absRootDir returns rootDir if it is absolute, or the joined path with this service's
+// RootDir if it is relative. This allows DbInfo to store relative database paths but
+// pre-existing absolute paths (before CL 23453) will still open as is (achieving
+// backwards compatibility).
+func (s *service) absRootDir(rootDir string) string {
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(rootDir) {
+		rootDir = filepath.Join(s.opts.RootDir, rootDir)
+	}
+	return rootDir
 }