diff --git a/src/loader/js/loader.js b/src/loader/js/loader.js
index 3b9f2427965..be9ba6cc848 100644
--- a/src/loader/js/loader.js
+++ b/src/loader/js/loader.js
@@ -1006,12 +1006,18 @@ Y.Loader.prototype = {
      */
     addGroup: function(o, name) {
         var mods = o.modules,
-            self = this, i, v;
+            self = this,
+            defaultBase = o.defaultBase || Y.config.defaultBase,
+            i, v;
 
         name = name || o.name;
         o.name = name;
         self.groups[name] = o;
 
+        if (!o.base && defaultBase && o.root) {
+            o.base = defaultBase + o.root;
+        }
+
         if (o.patterns) {
             for (i in o.patterns) {
                 if (o.patterns.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
diff --git a/src/loader/tests/unit/assets/loader-tests.js b/src/loader/tests/unit/assets/loader-tests.js
index 2a72215c2d9..161bc562d92 100644
--- a/src/loader/tests/unit/assets/loader-tests.js
+++ b/src/loader/tests/unit/assets/loader-tests.js
@@ -408,6 +408,79 @@ YUI.add('loader-tests', function(Y) {
             Assert.isTrue((out.js[0].indexOf('node-base-debug.js') > 0), 'node-base-debug was not found');
             Assert.isTrue((out.js[0].indexOf('node-core-debug.js') === -1), 'node-core-debug was found');
         },
+        'test defaultBase with groups': function() {
+            testY.applyConfig({
+                defaultBase: 'http://mycdn.com/path/to/',
+                comboBase: 'http://mycdn.com/path/to/combo?',
+                root: 'yui-3.1.5.0/'
+            });
+            var loader = new testY.Loader({
+                groups: {
+                    test1: {
+                        root: 'zip/',
+                        modules: {
+                            foo: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            },
+                            bar: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            }
+                        }
+                    },
+                    test2: {
+                        root: 'zap/',
+                        modules: {
+                            baz: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                    }
+                },
+                require: ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']
+            });
+            var out = loader.resolve(true);
+            Assert.areSame(3, out.js.length, "Loader should not have combined URLs.");
+            Assert.areSame("http://mycdn.com/path/to/zip/foo/foo-min.js", out.js[0], "The url should be ");
+            Assert.areSame("http://mycdn.com/path/to/zip/bar/bar-min.js", out.js[1], "The url should be ");
+            Assert.areSame("http://mycdn.com/path/to/zap/baz/baz-min.js", out.js[2], "The url should be ");
+        },
+        'test base should take precedence over defaultBase': function() {
+            var loader = new testY.Loader({
+                groups: {
+                    test1: {
+                        defaultBase: 'http://mycdn.com/path/to/',
+                        base: 'http://basecdn.com/path/to/base/',
+                        root: 'zip/',
+                        modules: {
+                            foo: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            },
+                            bar: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            }
+                        }
+                    },
+                    test2: {
+                        defaultBase: 'http://mycdn.com/path/to/',
+                        base: 'http://basecdn.com/path/to/base/',
+                        root: 'zap/',
+                        modules: {
+                            baz: {
+                                filter: 'min'
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                    }
+                },
+                require: ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']
+            });
+            var out = loader.resolve(true);
+            Assert.areSame(3, out.js.length, "Loader should not have combined URLs.");
+            Assert.areSame("http://basecdn.com/path/to/base/foo/foo-min.js", out.js[0], "The url should be ");
+            Assert.areSame("http://basecdn.com/path/to/base/bar/bar-min.js", out.js[1], "The url should be ");
+            Assert.areSame("http://basecdn.com/path/to/base/baz/baz-min.js", out.js[2], "The url should be ");
+        },
         test_group_filters: function() {
             var test = this;
 
diff --git a/src/yui/js/yui.js b/src/yui/js/yui.js
index c93f011b212..15764c63c96 100644
--- a/src/yui/js/yui.js
+++ b/src/yui/js/yui.js
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ proto = {
                 mods: {}, // flat module map
                 versions: {}, // version module map
                 base: BASE,
-                cdn: BASE + VERSION + '/build/',
+                cdn: BASE + VERSION + '/',
                 // bootstrapped: false,
                 _idx: 0,
                 _used: {},
@@ -496,7 +496,9 @@ proto = {
 
         Y.config.lang = Y.config.lang || 'en-US';
 
-        Y.config.base = YUI.config.base || Y.Env.getBase(Y.Env._BASE_RE);
+        Y.config.base = YUI.config.base ||
+                (YUI.config.defaultBase && YUI.config.root && YUI.config.defaultBase + YUI.config.root) ||
+                Y.Env.getBase(Y.Env._BASE_RE);
 
         if (!filter || (!('mindebug').indexOf(filter))) {
             filter = 'min';