diff --git a/lib/puppet/file_serving/mount/plugins.rb b/lib/puppet/file_serving/mount/plugins.rb
index d21d6e92e..a9048ab98 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/file_serving/mount/plugins.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/file_serving/mount/plugins.rb
@@ -1,26 +1,34 @@
 require 'puppet/file_serving/mount'
 
 # Find files in the modules' plugins directories.
 # This is a very strange mount because it merges
 # many directories into one.
 class Puppet::FileServing::Mount::Plugins < Puppet::FileServing::Mount
   # Return an instance of the appropriate class.
   def find(relative_path, request)
     return nil unless mod = request.environment.modules.find { |mod|  mod.plugin(relative_path) }
 
     path = mod.plugin(relative_path)
 
     path
   end
 
   def search(relative_path, request)
     # We currently only support one kind of search on plugins - return
     # them all.
     paths = request.environment.modules.find_all { |mod| mod.plugins? }.collect { |mod| mod.plugin_directory }
-    return(paths.empty? ? nil : paths)
+    if paths.empty?
+      # If the modulepath is valid then we still need to return a valid root
+      # directory for the search, but make sure nothing inside it is
+      # returned.
+      request.options[:recurse] = false
+      request.environment.modulepath.empty? ? nil : request.environment.modulepath
+    else
+      paths
+    end
   end
 
   def valid?
     true
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/file_serving/mount/plugins_spec.rb b/spec/unit/file_serving/mount/plugins_spec.rb
index b6bed72a0..09da124c3 100755
--- a/spec/unit/file_serving/mount/plugins_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/file_serving/mount/plugins_spec.rb
@@ -1,60 +1,73 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'puppet/file_serving/mount/plugins'
 
 describe Puppet::FileServing::Mount::Plugins do
   before do
     @mount = Puppet::FileServing::Mount::Plugins.new("plugins")
 
     @environment = stub 'environment', :module => nil
-    @request = stub 'request', :environment => @environment
+    @options = { :recurse => true }
+    @request = stub 'request', :environment => @environment, :options => @options
   end
 
   describe  "when finding files" do
     it "should use the provided environment to find the modules" do
       @environment.expects(:modules).returns []
 
       @mount.find("foo", @request)
     end
 
     it "should return nil if no module can be found with a matching plugin" do
       mod = mock 'module'
       mod.stubs(:plugin).with("foo/bar").returns nil
 
       @environment.stubs(:modules).returns [mod]
       @mount.find("foo/bar", @request).should be_nil
     end
 
     it "should return the file path from the module" do
       mod = mock 'module'
       mod.stubs(:plugin).with("foo/bar").returns "eh"
 
       @environment.stubs(:modules).returns [mod]
       @mount.find("foo/bar", @request).should == "eh"
     end
   end
 
   describe "when searching for files" do
     it "should use the node's environment to find the modules" do
       @environment.expects(:modules).returns []
+      @environment.stubs(:modulepath).returns ["/tmp/modules"]
 
       @mount.search("foo", @request)
     end
 
-    it "should return nil if no modules can be found that have plugins" do
+    it "should return modulepath if no modules can be found that have plugins" do
       mod = mock 'module'
       mod.stubs(:plugins?).returns false
 
       @environment.stubs(:modules).returns []
+      @environment.stubs(:modulepath).returns ["/"]
+      @options.expects(:[]=).with(:recurse, false)
+      @mount.search("foo/bar", @request).should == ["/"]
+    end
+
+    it "should return nil if no modules can be found that have plugins and modulepath is invalid" do
+      mod = mock 'module'
+      mod.stubs(:plugins?).returns false
+
+      @environment.stubs(:modules).returns []
+      @environment.stubs(:modulepath).returns []
       @mount.search("foo/bar", @request).should be_nil
     end
 
     it "should return the plugin paths for each module that has plugins" do
       one = stub 'module', :plugins? => true, :plugin_directory => "/one"
       two = stub 'module', :plugins? => true, :plugin_directory => "/two"
 
       @environment.stubs(:modules).returns [one, two]
       @mount.search("foo/bar", @request).should == %w{/one /two}
     end
   end
 end