diff --git a/api/cli/cli.go b/api/cli/cli.go
index c4cde81ec..a343195f4 100644
--- a/api/cli/cli.go
+++ b/api/cli/cli.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/portainer/portainer"
 
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
@@ -54,6 +55,15 @@ func (*Service) ParseFlags(version string) (*portainer.CLIFlags, error) {
 	}
 
 	kingpin.Parse()
+
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(*flags.Assets) {
+		ex, err := os.Executable()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		*flags.Assets = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(ex), *flags.Assets)
+	}
+
 	return flags, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/api/cli/defaults.go b/api/cli/defaults.go
index 1b1c86a3b..2d350c1c7 100644
--- a/api/cli/defaults.go
+++ b/api/cli/defaults.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ package cli
 const (
 	defaultBindAddress     = ":9000"
 	defaultDataDirectory   = "/data"
-	defaultAssetsDirectory = "/"
+	defaultAssetsDirectory = "./"
 	defaultNoAuth          = "false"
 	defaultNoAnalytics     = "false"
 	defaultTLSVerify       = "false"
diff --git a/api/cli/defaults_windows.go b/api/cli/defaults_windows.go
index 914ee3d2a..a94657258 100644
--- a/api/cli/defaults_windows.go
+++ b/api/cli/defaults_windows.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package cli
 const (
 	defaultBindAddress     = ":9000"
 	defaultDataDirectory   = "C:\\data"
-	defaultAssetsDirectory = "/"
+	defaultAssetsDirectory = "./"
 	defaultNoAuth          = "false"
 	defaultNoAnalytics     = "false"
 	defaultTLSVerify       = "false"
diff --git a/api/http/handler/file.go b/api/http/handler/file.go
index 2191169ac..efc7e2b77 100644
--- a/api/http/handler/file.go
+++ b/api/http/handler/file.go
@@ -3,35 +3,22 @@ package handler
 import (
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/portainer/portainer"
-	httperror "github.com/portainer/portainer/http/error"
-
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
-	"path"
 	"strings"
 )
 
 // FileHandler represents an HTTP API handler for managing static files.
 type FileHandler struct {
 	http.Handler
-	Logger             *log.Logger
-	allowedDirectories map[string]bool
+	Logger *log.Logger
 }
 
 // NewFileHandler returns a new instance of FileHandler.
-func NewFileHandler(assetPath string) *FileHandler {
+func NewFileHandler(assetPublicPath string) *FileHandler {
 	h := &FileHandler{
-		Handler: http.FileServer(http.Dir(assetPath)),
+		Handler: http.FileServer(http.Dir(assetPublicPath)),
 		Logger:  log.New(os.Stderr, "", log.LstdFlags),
-		allowedDirectories: map[string]bool{
-			"/":       true,
-			"/css":    true,
-			"/js":     true,
-			"/images": true,
-			"/fonts":  true,
-			"/ico":    true,
-		},
 	}
 	return h
 }
@@ -46,17 +33,10 @@ func isHTML(acceptContent []string) bool {
 }
 
 func (handler *FileHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	requestDirectory := path.Dir(r.URL.Path)
-	if !handler.allowedDirectories[requestDirectory] {
-		httperror.WriteErrorResponse(w, portainer.ErrResourceNotFound, http.StatusNotFound, handler.Logger)
-		return
-	}
-
 	if !isHTML(r.Header["Accept"]) {
 		w.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "max-age=31536000")
 	} else {
 		w.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate")
 	}
-
 	handler.Handler.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 }
diff --git a/api/http/server.go b/api/http/server.go
index e3f31e8d1..93d874cb3 100644
--- a/api/http/server.go
+++ b/api/http/server.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/portainer/portainer/http/security"
 
 	"net/http"
+	"path/filepath"
 )
 
 // Server implements the portainer.Server interface
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ func (server *Server) Start() error {
 	requestBouncer := security.NewRequestBouncer(server.JWTService, server.TeamMembershipService, server.AuthDisabled)
 	proxyManager := proxy.NewManager(server.ResourceControlService, server.TeamMembershipService, server.SettingsService)
 
-	var fileHandler = handler.NewFileHandler(server.AssetsPath)
+	var fileHandler = handler.NewFileHandler(filepath.Join(server.AssetsPath, "public"))
 	var authHandler = handler.NewAuthHandler(requestBouncer, server.AuthDisabled)
 	authHandler.UserService = server.UserService
 	authHandler.CryptoService = server.CryptoService
diff --git a/gruntfile.js b/gruntfile.js
index 2bae53d25..d7ae868d2 100644
--- a/gruntfile.js
+++ b/gruntfile.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
 
   // Project configuration.
   grunt.initConfig({
-    distdir: 'dist',
+    distdir: 'dist/public',
     shippedDockerVersion: '17.09.0-ce',
     pkg: grunt.file.readJSON('package.json'),
     config: {
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
       css: ['assets/css/app.css']
     },
     clean: {
-      all: ['<%= distdir %>/*'],
-      app: ['<%= distdir %>/*', '!<%= distdir %>/portainer*', '!<%= distdir %>/docker*'],
+      all: ['<%= distdir %>/../*'],
+      app: ['<%= distdir %>/*', '!<%= distdir %>/../portainer*', '!<%= distdir %>/../docker*'],
       tmpl: ['<%= distdir %>/templates'],
       tmp: ['<%= distdir %>/js/*', '!<%= distdir %>/js/app.*.js', '<%= distdir %>/css/*', '!<%= distdir %>/css/app.*.css']
     },
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
       release: {
         src: '<%= src.html %>',
         options: {
-          root: '<%= distdir %>'
+          root: '<%= distdir %>',
+          dest: '<%= distdir %>'
         }
       }
     },
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
       run: {
         command: [
           'docker rm -f portainer',
-          'docker run -d -p 9000:9000 -v $(pwd)/dist:/app -v /tmp/portainer:/data -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:z --name portainer portainer/base /app/portainer-linux-' + arch + ' --no-analytics -a /app'
+          'docker run -d -p 9000:9000 -v $(pwd)/dist:/app -v /tmp/portainer:/data -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:z --name portainer portainer/base /app/portainer-linux-' + arch + ' --no-analytics'
         ].join(';')
       },
       downloadDockerBinary: {