diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/IncludeFromTo.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/IncludeFromTo.kt
index 69b953b3..2b5d450c 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/IncludeFromTo.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/IncludeFromTo.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.beust.kobalt
 
 import com.beust.kobalt.api.annotation.Directive
+import java.io.File
 
 /**
  * Base classes for directives that support install(from,to) (e.g. install{} or jar{}).
@@ -18,6 +19,13 @@ open class IncludeFromTo {
     @Directive
     fun to(s: String) = To(s)
 
+    @Directive
+    fun copy(from: String, to: To) {
+        with(File(from)) {
+            includedFiles.add(IncludedFile(from(parent), to, listOf(IFileSpec.FileSpec(name))))
+        }
+    }
+
     @Directive
     fun include(vararg files: String) {
         includedFiles.add(IncludedFile(files.map { IFileSpec.FileSpec(it) }))
diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
index d5e4b443..0760a0a8 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/misc/KFiles.kt
@@ -333,7 +333,13 @@ class KFiles {
             val result = includedFiles.fold(arrayListOf<File>()) { files, includedFile: IncludedFile ->
                 val foundFiles = includedFile.allFromFiles(project.directory)
                 val absFiles = foundFiles.map {
-                    File(KFiles.joinDir(project.directory, includedFile.from, it.path))
+                    if (it.isAbsolute) {
+                        it
+                    } else if (File(includedFile.from).isAbsolute) {
+                        File(includedFile.from, it.path)
+                    } else {
+                        File(KFiles.joinDir(project.directory, includedFile.from, it.path))
+                    }
                 }
                 files.addAll(absFiles)
                 files
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
index 26a59672..f8dd6c15 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/plugin/packaging/PackagingPlugin.kt
@@ -223,9 +223,10 @@ class PackagingPlugin @Inject constructor(val dependencyManager : DependencyMana
                 config.includedFiles.forEach { inf ->
                     val target = inf.to
                     val targetFile = File(target)
+                    val files = KFiles.materializeIncludedFiles(project, listOf(inf))
+                    context.logger.log(project.name, 2, "  Deleting target dir $targetFile")
                     targetFile.deleteRecursively()
                     targetFile.mkdirs()
-                    val files = KFiles.materializeIncludedFiles(project, listOf(inf))
                     files.forEach {
                         context.logger.log(project.name, 1, "  Installing $it to $targetFile")
                         KFiles.copyRecursively(it, targetFile, true)