diff --git a/src/rime/resource_resolver.cc b/src/rime/resource_resolver.cc
index 507e36bdb..a479268d0 100644
--- a/src/rime/resource_resolver.cc
+++ b/src/rime/resource_resolver.cc
@@ -13,4 +13,18 @@ boost::filesystem::path ResourceResolver::ResolvePath(const string& resource_id)
       root_path_);
 }
 
+boost::filesystem::path
+FallbackResourceResolver::ResolvePath(const string& resource_id) {
+  auto default_path = ResourceResolver::ResolvePath(resource_id);
+  if (!boost::filesystem::exists(default_path)) {
+    auto fallback_path = boost::filesystem::absolute(
+        boost::filesystem::path(type_.prefix + resource_id + type_.suffix),
+        fallback_root_path_);
+    if (boost::filesystem::exists(fallback_path)) {
+      return fallback_path;
+    }
+  }
+  return default_path;
+}
+
 }  // namespace rime
diff --git a/src/rime/resource_resolver.h b/src/rime/resource_resolver.h
index 8837086c4..1f5aa366b 100644
--- a/src/rime/resource_resolver.h
+++ b/src/rime/resource_resolver.h
@@ -23,18 +23,34 @@ class ResourceResolver {
  public:
   explicit ResourceResolver(const ResourceType type) : type_(type) {
   }
-  boost::filesystem::path ResolvePath(const string& resource_id);
+  virtual ~ResourceResolver() {
+  }
+  virtual boost::filesystem::path ResolvePath(const string& resource_id);
   void set_root_path(const boost::filesystem::path& root_path) {
     root_path_ = root_path;
   }
   boost::filesystem::path root_path() const {
     return root_path_;
   }
- private:
+ protected:
   const ResourceType type_;
   boost::filesystem::path root_path_;
 };
 
+// try fallback path if target file doesn't exist in root path
+class FallbackResourceResolver : public ResourceResolver {
+ public:
+  explicit FallbackResourceResolver(const ResourceType& type)
+      : ResourceResolver(type) {
+  }
+  boost::filesystem::path ResolvePath(const string& resource_id) override;
+  void set_fallback_root_path(const boost::filesystem::path& fallback_root_path) {
+    fallback_root_path_ = fallback_root_path;
+  }
+ private:
+  boost::filesystem::path fallback_root_path_;
+};
+
 }  // namespace rime
 
 #endif  // RIME_RESOURCE_RESOLVER_H_
diff --git a/test/resource_resolver_test.cc b/test/resource_resolver_test.cc
index 9a0aafcab..a9d9b8a6e 100644
--- a/test/resource_resolver_test.cc
+++ b/test/resource_resolver_test.cc
@@ -3,15 +3,48 @@
 
 using namespace rime;
 
+static const ResourceType kMineralsType = ResourceType{
+  "minerals",
+  "not_",
+  ".minerals",
+};
+
 TEST(RimeResourceResolverTest, ResolvePath) {
-  const auto type = ResourceType{
-    "minerals",
-    "not_",
-    ".minerals",
-  };
-  the<ResourceResolver> rr(new ResourceResolver(type));
-  rr->set_root_path("/starcraft");
-  auto actual = rr->ResolvePath("enough");
+  ResourceResolver rr(kMineralsType);
+  rr.set_root_path("/starcraft");
+  auto actual = rr.ResolvePath("enough");
   boost::filesystem::path expected = "/starcraft/not_enough.minerals";
+  EXPECT_TRUE(actual.is_absolute());
   EXPECT_TRUE(expected == actual);
 }
+
+TEST(RimeResourceResolverTest, FallbackRootPath) {
+  FallbackResourceResolver rr(kMineralsType);
+  rr.set_fallback_root_path("fallback");
+  boost::filesystem::create_directory("fallback");
+  {
+    boost::filesystem::path nonexistent_default = "not_present.minerals";
+    boost::filesystem::remove(nonexistent_default);
+    auto fallback = boost::filesystem::absolute("fallback/not_present.minerals");
+    boost::filesystem::ofstream(fallback).close();
+    auto actual = rr.ResolvePath("present");
+    EXPECT_TRUE(fallback == actual);
+    boost::filesystem::remove(fallback);
+  }
+  {
+    auto existent_default = boost::filesystem::absolute("not_falling_back.minerals");
+    boost::filesystem::ofstream(existent_default).close();
+    auto actual = rr.ResolvePath("falling_back");
+    EXPECT_TRUE(existent_default == actual);
+    boost::filesystem::remove(existent_default);
+  }
+  {
+    auto nonexistent_default = boost::filesystem::absolute("not_any.minerals");
+    boost::filesystem::remove(nonexistent_default);
+    auto nonexistent_fallback = boost::filesystem::absolute("fallback/not_any.minerals");
+    boost::filesystem::remove(nonexistent_fallback);
+    auto actual = rr.ResolvePath("any");
+    EXPECT_TRUE(nonexistent_default == actual);
+  }
+  boost::filesystem::remove_all("fallback");
+}