diff --git a/core/XdmfArray.cpp b/core/XdmfArray.cpp
index 5b6602765142fb4e0acbd5fb9f76f2408da8799a..23989a37ebbafa6f4a57d3c140b849a0cf81ee40 100644
--- a/core/XdmfArray.cpp
+++ b/core/XdmfArray.cpp
@@ -1083,8 +1083,25 @@ XdmfArray::populateItem(const std::map<std::string, std::string> & itemPropertie
         }
       }
 
-      std::string hdf5Path = contentVals[contentIndex].substr(0, colonLocation);
-      std::string dataSetPath = contentVals[contentIndex].substr(colonLocation+1);
+      std::string hdf5Path = 
+        contentVals[contentIndex].substr(0, colonLocation);
+      std::string dataSetPath = 
+        contentVals[contentIndex].substr(colonLocation+1);
+
+      // FIXME: for other OS (e.g. windows)
+      if(hdf5Path.size() > 0 && hdf5Path[0] != '/') {
+        // Dealing with a relative path for hdf5 location
+        std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator xmlDir =
+          itemProperties.find("XMLDir");
+        if(xmlDir == itemProperties.end()) {
+          XdmfError::message(XdmfError::FATAL,
+                             "'XMLDir' not found in itemProperties in "
+                             "XdmfArray::populateItem");
+        }
+        std::stringstream newHDF5Path;
+        newHDF5Path << xmlDir->second << hdf5Path;
+        hdf5Path = newHDF5Path.str();
+      }
 
       // Parse dimensions from the content
       std::vector<unsigned int> contentDims;
diff --git a/utils/XdmfExodusWriter.cpp b/utils/XdmfExodusWriter.cpp
index ab90fc6b9b71769498a3b4f38b97e0900d0516fd..7a75c2301b779849af70e1364b15e8fdb8de101a 100644
--- a/utils/XdmfExodusWriter.cpp
+++ b/utils/XdmfExodusWriter.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 /*                                                                           */
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+#include <cstring>
 #include <exodusII.h>
 #include <set>
 #include <sstream>